In Another Time
by N7Commando86
Summary: AU What if Kaidan had run away after the events on Jump Zero and became a merc? Shepard hires Kaidan on Omega to help with the Collector mission. Mass Effect 2
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: Mass Effect doesn't belong to me, nor do I intend to profit from this work of fiction.

* * *

Kaidan Alenko was waiting. The fact that he was waiting at a bar on Omega, with asari strippers grinding to the pounding music may or may not made the situation better. He had a meet; someone from the shadowy organization known as Cerberus had contacted him to hire him for a suicide mission. He had been intrigued, especially when his contact had dropped Commander Shepard's name. "She's dead," he'd said. "Not anymore," was the reply.

He'd been warned she'd have a turian and a krogan with her. 'She'll stick out like a sore thumb,' he thought to himself, and gestured to the bartender for another drink. He sat with his head down, watching the entrance, waiting for the woman to make an appearance, scowling that she was late. Might as well have a bit of fun while he waited.

He turned to the slender woman seated next to him. She was a looker, and he felt a tight ball of lust curling in his belly as he studied her. Short black hair, deep blue eyes, pixie nose, round face, full lips that begged to be kissed raw. The rest of her was no hardship to study either, long and sleek, curves in all the right places, about 5'8, and maybe buck twenty, if he guessed correctly; it was hard to judge under the armor she was wearing.

He was stunned when he leaned towards her and felt the hum of dark energy, stronger than most other humans, maybe even a match for his own. He leaned in close to her, "Hey there," he drawled near her ear, his voice low and husky, "Can I buy you a drink?"

He watched the slow smile curve over her lips, and knew in that moment, he was in trouble. A lot of trouble. "Perhaps. Kaidan Alenko?" she asked, one perfect eyebrow lifted as she turned her head to study him.

She fought the urge to swallow hard, she'd watched him from across the room to make sure this man was who she had been told to expect. She'd felt the heat coiling in her belly then, and had instructed Garrus and Grunt to take up positions nearby as she went to get a closer look. Getting up close and personal, however, it was like a punch in the gut as she'd taken in his dark looks; curling salt and pepper hair, whiskey brown eyes, square jaw, and full lips. His five o'clock shadow only enhanced his features.

"Commander Shepard, former Alliance. I'm on a critical mission, and I need your help." She held out a hand, and hissed as he took it, feeling the static electricity arcing between them. At least, she tried to tell herself it was the build up of static that was causing sparks to fly.

He chuckled, his laugh low and seductive as he reluctantly pulled his hand away. "Careful, Shepard. Need to work on your control." His eyes roved over her, making her uneasy, "Unless you're looking for some _release._" His tone was suggestive, and she felt her skin prickling around her amp.

"New implant," she snapped, and straightening her shoulders, took a deliberate step back. "Now, about the Cerberus' offer? I assume you have some unfinished business I have to help you take care of, so on and so forth. Interested?"

"Oh, _very interested,"_ he murmured, advancing on her with a predatory gleam in his eyes. He chuckled again when she refused to retreat, glaring him down. He looked up as a turian appeared over her shoulder, a mass of scars covering his right cheek. The turian glowered at him, fingering his rifle suggestively. "Kaidan Alenko," he said, and held out a hand to the turian, who took it reluctantly.

"Garrus Vakarian," the turian said by way of introductions. "Shepard, we're attracting attention. I suggest we move this party back to the ship."

Shepard gave a jerk of her head, and Garrus and the krogan moved in front of her, heading toward the exit. She fell into step beside him, her eyes constantly sweeping their surroundings for trouble. She placed a warm palm on his arm when her companions entered the docking tube for her ship.

"A moment," she waited as Garrus glanced back at her, and the door slid shut behind him. "Why did you say yes? My information says you would be difficult to convince."

"Sweetheart," he drawled, and surprised her as he grasped her shoulders and jerked her body flush against his. "I'm a freelance merc. Cerberus made me an offer I couldn't refuse. Plus, you… intrigue me." He trailed his fingers down her side, brushing the side of her armored breast, and reveled in her sharp intake of breath.

She clenched her jaw, but she was finding herself to fascinated by the man in front of her. She licked her lips, and did something completely against her character. She reached up and grasped the front edge of his armor and jerked him down to her level. Her eyes held his for a long moment before she claimed his lips for her own in a violent, bruising kiss. She heard his soft groan as his arms curled around her waist, crushing her against his torso.

He'd be caught off guard when she'd initiated the kiss, but he quickly wrested control as he backed her against a nearby wall. He groaned his frustration at the layers of armor they both wore, he was dying to feel her under his hands. Their tongues tangled together, warring for supremacy, teeth biting down on lips hard enough to draw blood.

He drug his lips from hers, and found the sensitive lobe of her ear. With a smirk, he applied his lips and teeth, wringing a low moan from between her sweet lips. He trailed a line of hot kisses down her throat, covering as much skin as he reach with her armor in the way.

She pushed him away with a strangled cry, and stood staring at him, panting. "That… was a mistake," she asserted, as if by saying to him, she could make herself believe it.

He stood back, a devious smile on his face, "Oh no, _cher,_ it really wasn't." He waited as she scowled at him, and walked with her into the docking tube. This was going to be _fun._


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: Mass Effect doesn't belong to me, nor do I intend to profit from this work of fiction.

* * *

Kaidan sat in the mess drinking bitter, black coffee. It was late; very, very late, and, as a result, he was the only person around. He'd had a run in with Shepard's second-in-command, Miranda Lawson. The woman was a pain in the ass, and had triggered a severe migraine, putting him out of commission for several hours. He could already see why the turian, Garrus, was the person she went to with command decisions.

The worst was past now, and he wasn't able to sleep. The coffee was making him jittery. Or maybe it was just the thought of the situation in which he found himself.

He wasn't used to the military discipline Shepard maintained on her ship. Sure, it was pretty relaxed, but he didn't particularly care to answer to anyone. Especially not since the incident on Jump Zero, even if the person he answered to was a smoking hot, sexy marine. She may be ex-Alliance, but her military bearing did strange things to him.

He looked up in surprise as the object of his thoughts turned the corner. She stopped short and blinked at the sight of him before she moved toward the coffee pot. He watched her avidly as she poured herself a mug, wrapping her hands around the warm ceramic.

She felt his gaze traveling over her backside, and the tiny hairs on the back of her neck stood at attention. She frowned as she felt the hot ball of lust burning in her belly. She'd been avoiding him in the last few days since he'd joined the crew for this very reason.

Every time she clapped eyes on him, her pulse would spike, as a result, she'd decided it was prudent to avoid him all together. Her eyes widened in alarm as he stood, and languidly walked over with that lazy, long-legged swagger of his.

"Can't sleep, either?" he drawled, the huskiness of his voice sending warm shivers down her spine. He leaned a hip against the counter, watching her, that same predatory gleam in his eyes he'd had the other day.

Her mouth turned to sawdust when he reached out and ran his hot palm over her bare skin, from her wrist to her elbow. "No," she replied, leaving it up to interpretation if she was answering his question or protesting his touch.

She wasn't protesting, he decided. "Well, _cher_, maybe I could help with that," he said silkily, stepping closer to her, planting a firm thigh between her legs, feeling her heat coming off her in waves.

She brought her mug to her lips, took a long sip. "I don't see how," she replied flatly, desperately ignoring the feel of him entrenched between her thighs. She was failing spectacularly.

"You wound me," he murmured, clutching his chest dramatically as he leaned in to her, taking her mug from her limp fingers, setting it aside. His lips were millimeters away from her own, his breath hot against her skin. "One night with me, you'll be so exhausted, you'll sleep for days. When I let you sleep, that is."

"You don't allow me to do anything," she snapped at him, temper rising in her blue eyes. "I make my own decisions," she shoved at the hard wall of his chest.

He didn't budge, he just smirked at her, and with a groan, captured her lips. The kiss wild and ferocious, bordering on frenzied. Their tongues tangled, their lips crushed together with bruising force. He heard her moan into his mouth as his hand brushed up to cup her breast, massaging firmly, his hips pinning her against the countertop behind her, his blatant arousal trapped against her belly.

He heard her panting as he tore his lips from hers, trailing hot kisses against her throat, his tongue roughly swirling against her skin. Her hips rubbed against his of their own accord, a hot moan escaping her lips.

She shoved him back, pushing him back a step. They stared at each other, dark energy arcing between them. She prowled around him, astounded at her response to him. She was a soldier, a professional; she didn't give into her base urges as she had now done twice with him.

"Who are you?" she asked harshly, her breathing labored.

His smile was smug. "I'm just a biotic from Vancouver that ran away from home when I was seventeen." He sauntered towards her, careful not to touch her even as he crowded her. "I got my first kill on Jump Zero. I killed my turian instructor with a biotic kick to the face.

"I joined Eclipse as a merc when I was nineteen. I learned a lot about my biotic limitations and improved my tech skills. I can break into or hack just about anything. Almost died a couple times, learned how to stay alive. I left Eclipse about five years ago, went freelance. I've been doing very well for myself." He continued to circle her, his palms itching to touch her skin.

"I know all that, it's in your dossier," she responded, watching him warily. She was resisting the urge to throw herself bodily at him and tear off his clothes, but barely.

"You _want_ me," his husky voice rumbled in his chest, and her pulse skyrocketed.

"No," she said breathlessly.

"You don't _want_ to _want _me, but you do," he reached out and grasped her belt, tugged her close. "I want you," he rasped into her ear. He felt her shudder against him, felt his own heart pounding in his chest. "It's strange," he murmured, holding her gaze as her lashes fluttered against her cheeks. "I want nothing more than to tumble you into bed, Shepard. But I really want to take my time with you."

She sucked in a deep breath, "We need to be professional, whatever this is between us."

He chuckled, "Whatever you say, Shepard." He reluctantly released her, and took a step back, "You know where to find me, when you change your mind."


	3. Chapter 3

Disclaimer: Mass Effect doesn't belong to me, nor do I intend to profit from this work of fiction.

_A/N: There steamy bits ahead. Enjoy!_

* * *

She took Kaidan and Garrus with her to recruit Dr. Mordin Solus. She figured it was as good a time as any to try out the abilities of her new squad member. Plus, her fighting style didn't mesh well with Miranda or Jacob. She was willing to do just about anything so she didn't have to take the Cerberus operatives with her.

He was falling in line fairly easily, and she was impressed by his biotics. He made use of a strong barrier; it was probably what had kept him alive for so long on his own. He also had a nifty trick of making it explode in a whirl of blazing dark energy, something she was very keen on learning. His own warp fields weren't as strong as hers, but that could be his implants or lack of development. He hadn't lied about his tech skills, either. She had been relying on Garrus' tech up to that point, but to be able to have her sniper keeping an eye out while someone else did the hacking was handy.

She winked at him as he used his biotics to pull an vorcha from cover, and with her own aura blazing, she hurled herself across the field at his target, sending her enemy flying with a boom as his biotics exploded. She turned to her right, and sent a shockwave quaking across the ground, expending the fallen mercs with her shotgun before they could recover from being knocked off their feet.

She heard Garrus call "All clear," and heard Kaidan jog up behind her.

"Nice moves, Shepard. Sexy," he murmured into her private channel, and she felt him undressing her with his eyes. She felt herself blushing, and grit her teeth as she moved to point. Garrus glared at the human, but said nothing.

Kaidan did some contemplating of his own; she impressed him thus far. He didn't often get to work with another biotic as strong as she. His spine tingled every time she tossed a warp field towards a merc he'd lifted into the air, triggering an explosion.

He had been bewildered when she'd given medi-gel to a batarian before questioning him to relieve his suffering. She had a reputation for being tough as nails, so the small kindness had surprised him. She'd also spared group of batarians holding up Dr. Solus' assistant, to his astonishment. He was trying to figure out what she was about; she wasn't meeting any of his expectations of her.

She was ruthless on the battlefield, and firm but courteous in her dealings with the persons she interacted with.

They were currently working to get the air flowing again to distribute the cure for some virus. There were vorcha all over, and several rocket troopers firing on their position. "Shepard!" he shouted when she didn't see the rocket headed straight for her. Her shields were down, he noted grimly. Without a second thought, he raised his barriers with his right hand, and tackled her bodily to the ground; the rocket glanced off his barrier to explode behind them.

They landed in a tangled heap; he was smothering her with his nearness. She felt her heart pounding in her chest, and turned her head to meet his gaze. She frowned as he slipped a hand down her side to rest on her hip, armored fingers stroking her between the plates of her gear. She sucked in a breath at the sensation, even covered, she felt the heated contact as though she were naked. "Thank you," she said quietly, after activating his private channel.

"It was absolutely my pleasure, Commander," he murmured back, fighting the urge to strip her gear off her right there in the field. He briefly touched his helmet to hers, and helped her to her feet. He noted with some confusion that his heart was pounding furiously in his chest, and his normally steady fingers were shaking. '_What the hell?'_

It struck him like a ton of bricks, he _cared_ if something happened to her. He'd been _worried_ for her. He hadn't cared about another person since he was seventeen, and that hadn't ended well for him.

"Alright, Shepard?" Garrus asked, before sniping the last vorcha in sight.

"I'm fine, Garrus. Let's get this last fan on so we can get the hell out of here."

* * *

She found Kaidan working out in the shuttle bay, a bright blue corona surrounding him. She leaned a hip against the nearby console, waiting for him to notice her. It didn't take long.

He felt someone watching him, and glanced over his shoulder to smirk at her. He grabbed a towel, and wiped the sweat from his brow as he made his way over to her.

"Hey, Kaidan," she said quietly, shivering slightly when she felt his biotics tickling hers. She was still working out if she enjoyed the sensation, it didn't usually register when she was in close vicinity of other biotics, just him. Jacob and Miranda certainly didn't bother her like this. "I just wanted to thank you again."

He stopped short, puzzled, "For what?"

"Ah, for getting me out of a tight spot earlier," she replied, studying him curiosly.

He frowned at the reminder, "Oh, well, if something happens to you, I don't get paid," he knew it sounded cold, but he'd decided to put some distance between them. "So it is worth my while to watch your ass," he continued, and taking in the slightly fallen look on her face, he hurried on, "A most excellent ass it is, too." He took a few steps close to her, and brushed a lock of hair behind her ear.

"Is that it?" she asked angrily, "You just want to protect your investment? You sound just like Miranda!" she snapped at him. "I just thought…" she snapped her jaw shut, and her eyes dropped away from his.

"Thought what, Shepard?" he advanced on her, crowding her against the console, their bodies flush against each other. "Thought we had something? Thought we could be friends?" he hissed through clenched teeth. "I'm a merc, Shepard, I don't have friends. Or lovers, for that matter; just one night deals. Is that what you want?" He roughly shoved a thigh between her legs, trying to ignore the way she unconsciously rubbed herself against him, the low moan of the escaped her throat.

"Do you want me to just use you, and forget you?" he fisted a hand in her hair, and jerked her head back, lowered his lips to her throat, nipped her skin with his teeth. He jerked her hips close to his, his arousal blatantly apparent between them, her hot center still rubbed firmly against his thigh.

She sucked in a deep breath, and looked him dead in the eye, "I'm unforgettable, you bastard." She reached up and jerked his lips to hers, her teeth biting his lip hard enough to draw blood, and she heard his moan of approval. She felt his fingers at her belt, tugging her fly open, one hot hand slipping down to rub at her sensitive bundle of nerves. Her hips bucked at the contact, and she moaned loudly against his lips.

He tore his lips away from hers, and fused them to her throat instead, his tongue brushing hot circles against her skin. He nearly groaned when he slipped a finger inside her hot core, and found her wet and waiting for him. His thumb circled her clitoris, dragging sweet, panting breaths from her. Her eyes fluttered closed as her climax coursed through her, and she cried out against his shoulder.

She pushed through the fog of her orgasm, and shoved him away from her. He protested, and tried to pull her back to him as she set her clothes to rights. She responded by tossing him away from her with a burst of dark energy, and walked lazily towards the elevator, a decided swagger in her steps. She looked back at him as he scowled at her, "You aren't the only one that can use someone." She smirked as the elevator door slid shut, and leaned heavily against the wall, rubbing her temples in confusion.


	4. Chapter 4

Disclaimer: Mass Effect doesn't belong to me, nor do I intend to profit from this work of fiction.

_A/N: It gets pretty steamy at the end. Just so you know._

* * *

"You know, Shepard, I originally planned to just take you with me to Bekenstein, but after further consideration, I think Kaidan should come, too." Kasumi mused, studying the handsome merc as he sat at the mess table.

Shepard glanced over at the table, and frowned, she hadn't spoken much to Kaidan since the incident in the shuttle bay, but she didn't particularly care for the thief's interest in him. "If that's your plan, we'll make do." She didn't want to take him, but it wasn't her op. She had to admit he was very handy during combat situations. She sighed, and called over to him, "Alenko, suit up, your coming along for the ride." She sighed as Kasumi sashayed over to him to explain his role and give him his outfit for the trip.

* * *

Kaidan was battling a painful erection; Shepard was wearing a black dress that looked like she'd been painted into it. She was smoking, and it was driving him crazy. She'd been driving him crazy ever since the night a few days ago in the shuttle bay. The sound of her husky voice was enough to bring him to attention, all of him. She was all he could think about. His ears perked up as Kasumi told Shepard he would be posing as her husband.

"Kasumi, that's a terrible idea," she protested, glancing back at the backseat. She sucked in a deep breath at the sight of Kaidan in formal attire.

"I think it's ingenious, " he drawled, his grin wolfish, brown eyes sparkling.

"You would," she grumbled, settling back into her seat. She was puzzling out what he had up his sleeve; no normal man would be so amiable after being left high and dry like she'd done to him the other night. She tried to ignore the effect he was having on her as their car landed, and, like a perfect gentleman, he helped her to exit. She resisted the urge to retain his hand, and felt a flush creeping up her neck at the thought of what that hand was capable of.

She felt heat pooling between her thighs when he pressed a warm hand to the small of her back, his fingers splayed possessively across her spine, as they headed up the stairs. She knew Kasumi was lurking nearby, and her skin was on fire as his hand drifted down the curve of her rear.

"Stop it," she hissed out of the side of her mouth, smiling for the benefit of the other guests.

He just chuckled at her and reluctantly pulled his hand away, offering his arm instead. Her long fingers wrapped around his forearm, and he felt the now familiar tightening in his loins as her hip brushed against his.

He steered her to a secluded corner, snagging two flutes of champagne from a passing waiter. She frowned at him, but took the proffered glass. "It adds to the illusion, no need to actually drink it," he murmured into her ear.

"Does getting me alone add to the illusion?" she asked as he ran his hand down her bare arm, leaning into her.

"We're supposed to be newlyweds, right, Ms. Gunn?" his lips whispered against her ear, his arm snaking around her waist to pull her flush against him.

Her fingers smoothed over his firm chest, applying gentle pressure to push him away. Her fingers shifted to grip his lapels, however, when his lips pressed hotly against hers, his tongue plying her lips to gain entry to her hot cavity. She ruthlessly stifled a moan, her hips shifting forward of their own volition to grind against his.

"As nice as it is that you two get along, we really need to focus," Kasumi interrupted over their earpieces.

Kaidan grinned, and brushed his lips over hers once more. "Hard to focus around you," he chuckled, giving her bottom a firm pat.

She hissed at him, and sauntered away to talk to Hock. Kaidan just watched the cocky swing of her hips.

He clenched his teeth and followed her, a predatory smile on his lips. He pulled her away, " Now let's go have some fun," he whispered, and they snuck around the corner to drop onto Hock's balcony.

* * *

Later, back on the Normandy, he cornered her in the armory as they were putting their gear away. "Mmmm…_cher_, you looked good in that dress."

She turned slowly to face him, his arms braced on the weapon bench behind her, "Can I help you?" she asked warily, "And why do you keep calling me that?"

He inhaled her scent, an intoxicating blend of gun oil, smoke, and the soap Cerberus stocked in the shower dispensers. He dipped his lips down to skim against her hair, which was still mussed from her helmet. "My mama was French, the language stuck. You don't like when I call you _cher_?" he purred into her ear, still holding his body a few inches away from his own.

She frowned at him, she was enjoying the feel of his arms boxing her in entirely too much. She glanced around, but Jacob had left the armory to take care of his other duties. "Why do you have this affect on me?" she murmured uneasily. She had never fraternized with someone under her command. The Normandy may not be a military vessel, but she ran it as one, to the chagrin of the Cerberus crew. Acting on her attraction to the merc would be a mistake.

"The feeling is mutual, Shepard. I don't make a habit of sleeping with my boss. Complicates things. But I'll be damned if I don't want to strip you bare and have my way with you," he brought his hands to brush against her sides, up to cup her breasts.

"But why me? Why you, for that matter," she squirmed under his touch, her hips brushing against his.

"_Aucune idée_," he replied, the French rolling smoothly off his tongue, sending a shiver down her spine as his lips brushed against hers in the sweetest kiss they'd shared to date. "_Il y a juste quelque chose…_" her breath was hot against his lips as she waited on her translator, 'There is just something', her deep blue eyes unfathomable as she searched his face. His breath caught as she leaned into him, capturing his lips in a soft kiss. Her tongue swept across his bottom lip, and with a moan, he wrapped his strong arms around her back, pulling her in close.

Her arms looped around his neck pressing his mouth closer, their tongue gently stroking the other. She distantly heard her own gasping breaths between kisses, and his soft groans rumbling deep in his chest.

"I want you, Shepard," he murmured against her skin, "And not just for a night, either." He boosted her up to sit on the weapon console, and stepped between her knees. He was startled by the ferocious need she stirred in him, the fierce desire to claim and protect her for his own.

His heart constricted at the cool and inscrutable expression on her face, the one she wore before telling someone to go to hell, and wondered why he even cared.

She watched him as he watched her, her heart thumping erratically in her chest. Her knees tightened around his hips, and she sucked in a deep breath, pondering the tumult of emotions she was feeling.

There was attraction and arousal, obviously, and something else, something predatory and demanding, telling her to haul him up to her cabin and screw him senseless. There was also a need; a deep and primitive need to hold him close and never let go. She was also fighting the urge to run, fast and far.

"What is going on inside that head of yours," he murmured against her lips, his eyes half closed, desperately wanting to kiss her again. He tugged at her shirt, pulling the hem from her pants. She sighed against his lips as his hand snuck under her shirt to caress her skin, brushing his thumb across her puckered nipple.

His free hand drifted to the clasp of her belt, deftly releasing it, and he flicked her pants open with a smooth motion of his wrist. He slid his hand down her pants, capturing her lips at the same time, swallowing her soft moan of appreciation as his fingers circled her sensitive nub, sliding over her slick folds. His fingers stroked her, sliding into her wet heat, making her gasp against his lips.

She grasped at his shoulders, her hips undulating against the weapon console as he slid a finger into her, stroking her deeply, his mouth moving against her throat, hot and wet, his tongue rasping roughly against her skin. She ground her hips against his hand, desperate for release.

He waited until she was close, panting with need, and in a smooth motion, he secured her wrist to the weapon console, and yanked her pants down around her ankles. Kaidan stepped away from her, admiring the sight, "Payback is a bitch, Shepard," he smirked, turning on his heel to walk out the room. He heard her swear, and neatly stepped out the way of the thermal clip she hurled at him.

He glanced back at her with a smug smile, and admired the sight. She was straining against the restraints, her hair wildly mussed from his hands, her chest heaving with rage and desire, her eyes feral as she glared at him. "Now we're 1 – 1, _cher_."


	5. Chapter 5

Disclaimer: Mass Effect doesn't belong to me, nor do I intend to profit from this work of fiction.

_A/N Smut warning. It's how I roll._

* * *

Shepard was furious. Jacob had found her still handcuffed to the weapon bench, trying to work her pants back up her legs with one hand. He'd stared at her, his jaw hanging open until she'd snapped at him, and he'd moved to assist her, biting his lips to keep from laughing.

Her wrist was still sore the next morning as she stood waiting by the shuttle, gearing up to head to the prison ship, Purgatory. She was barely resisting the urge to punch the smirking merc in the face.

She clenched her teeth when, her under armor still rolled down around her waist, he'd sauntered over to her and taken her hand, lifted her knuckles to his mouth, and on a smooth motion, flipped her hand over, pressing his hot lips to the sensitive skin of her wrist, his tongue darting out to brush against her skin.

"I don't much like seeing marks on your skin," he murmured softly, tugging her closer to him.

"You put them there," she shot back at him.

He smiled a lazy smile, and shook his head.

"So you deny your involvement in my unfortunate circumstances last night?" she hissed at him, her eyes blazing as she glared at him.

"_Cher_, you could have sat quietly, waiting for help to arrive," he chuckled, burying his hand in her hair, tilting her head back as he studied her face. "You're beautiful when you're pissed."

She reached out and snagged his wrist, making him hiss in pain when she gripped the pressure point in his wrist, pressing down firmly. "I didn't give you permission to touch me," she said dangerously, her tone alarmingly calm.

His lips turned up in a smile, not bothered in the least, "Maybe not, but you want me too."

She held her body rigidly away from him, she glanced around and found that no one was around. "Desperately," she murmured, rubbing her body against his. She released her hold on his wrist, and gripped the front of his shirt firmly, and fastened her lips to his in a hot kiss.

He wrapped his strong arms around her, and hissed out a breath as her hand snuck between them to cup his arousal, her fingers stroking him through the fabric of his under armor. He groaned his frustration and continued to plunder her sweet mouth, his hands sliding down her back to grip her ass cheeks, pulling her closer to him, her roving fingers still trapped between their bodies.

She felt his hips jerking against her fingers, desperate for actual contact. She pulled away from him just as he moaned deeply against her lips. "We've got work to do," she said sweetly, and turned back to finish suiting up. He reached for her, but his hand came up empty as she nipped out of his way, and Garrus turned the corner. The turian looked at both of them, and narrowed his eyes suspiciously before he stalked towards the shuttle, watching them impatiently as they finished gathering their gear.

* * *

She was driving him insane. He'd been caught staring at her ass a few times during the mission, and she was driving him to distraction. At the rate he'd been going today, she'd probably never take him out with her again. He was currently sulking into a mug of coffee, sitting on the floor in front of a random console that had absolutely nothing wrong with it. He thought better when his hands were busy, so he decided to gut the thing and put it back together. EDI, the ship's AI, hadn't protested, so he figured it was a non-vital one anyway.

He was so engrossed in his work he didn't notice Shepard standing behind him, transfixed as his fingers flew over the console, occasionally wiping his sweaty brow with his forearm. She sucked in a deep breath, determined to walk back the way she came. Instead, her feet carried her over to stand next to him, her knees bent, and next thing she knew, she was sitting cross-legged on the floor beside him, their knees bumping as she watched him work.

He shot a glance at her, but continued in silence putting the console back together, occasionally gesturing for one tool or another he had sitting on the floor close to her. She would hand him the tool, and his fingers would stroke her palm or her wrist as he took it from her, noting her sharp intake of breath each time.

She waited patiently beside him, lost in her own thoughts, and didn't realize he was finished until she felt his warm hand resting lightly on her thigh. She slowly turned her head to look at him, shifting her body towards his, crawling into his lap to sit with her legs wrapped about his waist.

"_Ah, quelle surprise_," he murmured, bringing his hands around her, stroking up and down her back. He raised an eyebrow as she looped her arms around his shoulders, bringing her breast flush against his chest. "_Que puis-je faire pour vous, Commandant,"_ he asked, curious as to why she was sitting, lithe and warm, in his lap.

She didn't reply, just pressed her lips to his, pulling his bottom lip between her teeth to run her tongue along the sensitive flesh. She smiled against him as his arms tightened around her, pulling her to rub against his stiff erection. She squirmed in his lap, and a soft groan escaped his lips as she pulled away from him to press her lips to his jaw, shivering at the feel of his five o'clock shadow scrubbing against her cheek.

He brought one of his hands around to cup her breast, stroking her through the fabric of her fatigue. "_Je te veux,_" he whispered against her throat, pulling her shirt from her pants, and throwing it over his head.

"I want you, too," she murmured back, her lips against his skin, her nails raking lightly down his back, sending a shiver up his spine. She tugged his own shirt over his head, and leaned back to admire his chest and abs, trailing a finger down to his navel, the tip of her tongue darted out to lick her lips. She pressed her warm palms against his skin, and with a thoughtful look on her face, she flicked open his pants, sneaking a hand in to grasp him.

He groaned as her fingers wrapped around him, caressing the soft head, stroking him in long, even strokes, her hips rolling against him in rhythm with each pull of her hand. "_Je te désire,_" he grunted against her collarbone, his hands sliding up her back to unclasp her bra. She moaned as he bent his head and took her nipple into his mouth, swirling his tongue over her, making her arch her back and gasp.

He slipped his hands to her belt, and tugged her pants open. She shimmied away from him to tug her pants off, and he used the opportunity to get rid of his own. She was back in his lap, long legs wrapped around him as soon as that inconvenience was taken care of. She moaned at the feel of his thick erection sliding against her slick sex, the pressure unbearable as he pressed against her tight entrance and pulled away to tease her.

He teased her until he could bear her heat pressing against him no longer, "_J'ai besoin de toi," _he groaned, his need for her unbearable, and she shifted her hips to sink down on his length, her breath shuddering from her lungs at the feel of him stroking her to her core. She panted against him as she tucked her legs on either side of his for leverage, riding him hard, her back bowing deeply as he gripped her hips and shifted his hips to change the angle, making her cry out softly into his shoulder. He felt her climax crest through her as she tumbled over the edge, her nails biting into his shoulders, her muscles clasping tightly around him, urging him on as she continued to roll her hips against his.

His own orgasm broke through him with a shout as he spasmed within her, his arms holding her tightly. He felt her slump limply against his chest, their dewy skin pressed together as he stroked her back gently. She limply turned her head, and gave him a dazed smile, one he returned before her pressed a kiss to her lips.

"I think we're 2 – 2, now, right?" she murmured.

"_Oui_," he chuckled, wondering what the hell he'd just got himself into.


	6. Chapter 6

Disclaimer: Mass Effect doesn't belong to me, nor do I intend to profit from this work of fiction.

_A/N: Thanks for all the reviews so far! They keep me going :) Also, I update this one my tumblr account faster that I do here, brandnewandancient dot tumblr dot com, under the stuff I've written page. As an FYI._

* * *

Kaidan couldn't get a handle on Shepard. Most women were loose and relaxed after a night like the one they'd shared. She'd been on edge all morning, snapping at everyone that crossed her path. He'd cornered Garrus after she had barked at the two of them to suit up, and stalked away.

The turian had reluctantly informed him that she'd been told a former squad mate was stationed on the planet they were heading to, and it had just gone silent, a possible Collector attack. She was worried about Ashley Williams, her gunnery chief from the SR1.

Kaidan just grumbled, and went in search of Shepard before they were due at the shuttle. He found her alone in the armory, checking on her weapons of choice. "Hey there," he murmured as he sidling up to her, placing a warm hand on her shoulder, turning her to face him.

"Not now, Kaidan," she muttered, not quite meeting his eyes, jerking away from his touch.

He frowned, more determined than ever to get her to talk. "Yes, now," he said, stepping closer to her, his armored body boxing her in. He heard the irritated sound she made deep in her throat, and without another thought, he dropped his lips to hers, smiling against her as she slowly responded to him.

She sighed, her fingers catching the edges of his armor plates, pulling him closer. She was alarmed at the ease in which she could lose herself in him, drawing warmth and comfort, and a more primitive need from him. He was doing an excellent job of distracting her from her purpose, holding her close, his lips moving over hers in a soft caress.

He groaned softly as she pulled away from him, and looked up at him with a hint of a smile at the corners of her lips. He felt his heart stutter in his chest at the look in her blue eyes, "What are doing to me?" he wondered, smoothing a hand over her hair, cupping her cheek with his palm.

She exhaled quietly, holding his gaze, "Whatever it is, it's not altogether unpleasant."

He chuckled, and released her with some difficulty, and rubbed his thumb over her chin. "I think I like it, though," he said.

She raised an eyebrow, but smiled, and surprised them both when she reached over and laced her fingers in his, squeezed his hand briefly before releasing his hand and picking her pistol up off the weapon bench. "Let's go kill some Collectors. I have a bone to pick with them."

* * *

According to Garrus, Shepard was having some sort of breakdown in the shuttle bay. He'd been warned to just leave her alone, but he'd always been a glutton for punishment, he thought to himself as he waited for the elevator door to slide open.

He'd had the foresight to tuck and roll as soon as the door opened, and narrowly missed his head being taken off by her helmet as she hurled it across the space, striking the wall with a resounding crack. "It's just me, _cher_," he called, his temper spiking when a burst of dark energy exploded near him, missing him as he rolled again. He clenched his teeth, and peered around the edge of the support he was hiding behind.

Her face was a mask of fury, her blue eyes blazing. Her corona of dark energy was surging erratically about her, and he could see the sheen of sweat coating her skin with the effort she was expending to control her fury. She wasn't very successful; anything near her that wasn't tied down had been lifted from the floor, wheeling about erratically. "Get. Out." She ground out from between clenched teeth.

"Remember talking about knowing my limitations, Shepard?" he asked, moving stealthily around, just out of her line of sight. "You're at yours. I can see it." He flinched as a crate slammed into his last location, sending empty thermal clips and weapon parts skittering across the floor. He moved around again, trying to flank her, "Shepard, Williams was acting like a bitch. I get it." He jumped out of his cover and rolled into a safe spot further in the room as she uttered a roar of fury and flung another case his way. "Don't you think she was kind of within her rights, though?" he asked reasonably, trying to infuse some calm into his voice. This was a new situation for him, he'd never had to talk someone down before, had never cared enough to do so.

"I was DEAD!" she snarled, her chest heaving, "I couldn't just pick up a comm. and say, 'Hey, I'm _fucking dead!_ Don't worry about a goddamn thing!" She stumbled as she stalked after him, the effort of maintain her barrier wearing her down.

He stepped out of his cover, "I know, but it's sound far-fetched, doesn't it?" He charged up, his right arm glowing blue as he batted the crate she tossed at him away. He calmly walked right up to her, and reached through her barrier, pulling her close to him. "I'm here for you, it seems," he murmured quietly, and held her gaze for many long moments before her aura dissipated, and the levitating object clattered to the floor.

She slumped exhaustedly against him; her legs felt as it they wouldn't support her. "Can you just take me to my cabin, please?" she whispered before unconsciousness took her.

"_Maudit_," he swore softly, catching her before she toppled to the floor. He scooped her up, with every intention of taking her to see Dr. Chakwas.

She woke up in the elevator, and protested when he curtly informed her she was going to see the ship's medic. "Please, just take me upstairs. I have some energy bars and water, that's all I need."

"Fine, but first sign of passing out again, I'm dragging down to see Chakwas," he muttered, reluctant to set her back on her feet once inside her spacious room. He decided to compromise, and set her on the bed, and went in search of the energy bars she vaguely said were in a desk drawer. He dropped a few in her lap, helping himself to one as she fell on them ravenously.

He perched on the bed in front of her, sitting cross-legged as she polished off the energy bars. She lay back on the bed, staring up at the ceiling. "You don't have to stay," she mumbled with a sigh.

"No," he replied, smiling as he leaned over her, sliding his hands up her legs to the fly of her pants, "But I'd like to." He pulled her pants down her hips, and his teeth worried his bottom lip, his eyes sliding over her smooth, bare flesh. She smiled up at him through her lashes, her eyes half closed. He pressed a kiss to her nearest ankle, his lips working up her muscular calf, past her knees, his teeth scraping against her inner thigh, making her squirm under his hands.

His thumb found her hot center, and he slid along her folds, before he dipped his mouth to her, stroking her with his tongue, making her gasp. Her back arched against the mattress, her hips arching up to meet him, her groan deep in her throat as his tongue slipped inside her, making her cry out. Her fingers flew to his hair, curling around his salt and pepper locks, her back bowing deeply as a moan broke from her lips. He smirked against her as his tongue stroked her sensitive nub, felt her thighs quivering next to his cheek.

She moaned softly, her breath leaving her in short, mewling pants, her fingers tugging hard on his hair. Her eyes met his as she climaxed with a soft cry, her hips arching up off the bed. He pressed one last kiss to her before urging her to sit up as he tugged her shirt off. "You, too," she murmured, watching him appreciatively as he undressed for her, admiring his hard chest and abs, his sculpted thighs and calves.

He raised an eyebrow as she reached out a hand and tugged him down to her, her warm hands sliding over his back as he covered her body with his. "I want you inside me," she whispered before fusing her lips to his, her breath catching in her throat as he slid into her with a groan. She met his every thrust, her muscles clenching him tightly with every stroke.

"You're mine," he whispered harshly, his teeth clamping down on her throat, his tongue stroking the pulse beating wildly there. She gasped in surprise as his sudden possessiveness, and the sharp increase in his tempo. Her fingers dug into his back, her hips arching up to meet his as she climaxed, her head falling back into the pillows. Her soft sigh drove him mad, and with a great shout, his own orgasm pulsed through him.

They lay together in a sweaty heap, their fingers stroking the others arms, side, neck, cheek; their eyes met and held each other's gaze. He shifted and rolled to his side, tucking her in close to him as she dozed exhaustedly. "You know, I think I could fall for you," he murmured into her hair, surprising himself to say the words out loud.

She snuggled into him, drowsy and relaxed, "I think I'm more than halfway there," she whispered back with a sweet sigh as sleep took her.


	7. Chapter 7

Disclaimer: Mass Effect doesn't belong to me, nor do I intend to profit from this work of fiction.

* * *

Shepard lay next to Kaidan, sweaty and spent, her breathing gradually returning to normal as his fingers trailed along her arm as he held her. "We're heading to Ilium tomorrow. Can't say I'm excited about it. An assassin and a Justicar."

He chuckled, "Feel free to leave me behind while you recruit the Justicar," he murmured, rolling into her, burying his face in her hair. He inhaled deeply, she smelled of coffee, gun oil, and sex, a delicious combination to his way of thinking. "She might be tempted to shoot me," he pondered, a thoughtful expression on his handsome face.

She giggled, a sound so rare from her that they both looked shocked to hear it, "Don't worry, I won't let her shoot you," she murmured, her face turning red from embarrassment.

He propped himself up on his elbows, and studied her, _"Chérie, je ne savais pas que tu étais inquiète," _he purred quietly, leaning over her to drop light kisses over her face.

She laughed quietly, and pushed him away playfully. "Huh, I guess I do care," se replied softly as she pushed on his shoulder, and rolled atop him, straddling his waist, rubbing herself against him. "After all, you keep me limber."

"_Encore?"_ he chuckled, "_Si tôt?"_

"You started this," she accused, a mock stern expression on her face, "Now it seems I can't get enough of you." She leaned over him, and pressed her lips to his, "Again," she demanded softly.

"_Tout pour vous, ma chère."_he whispered against her petal soft lips, his hands lifting her hips, pulling her down to impale her on his thick erection with a low groan.

Her head dropped back as she reveled in the feel of him buried in her slick center, a moan breaking from her lips.

"Commander, you are needed in Operative Lawson's office," EDI's unexpected voice filtered through the cabin, interrupting them.

"_Merde_," Kaidan swore, his face murderous. "_Je vais la tuée!"_

"Not if I kill her first," she growled, sliding off him reluctantly, looking at him wistfully. With a groan, she stalked around the room snatching up her fatigues, jumping around on one foot as she stuck one leg in her pants, then the other. She threw her shirt over her head and slipped her feet in her boots as she tucked the hem of her shirt into her pants.

She glanced longingly at the bed, at him as he sat watching her, "See if you can find any monitoring devices in this room. I swept it a few days ago, but..."

"With pleasure, _cher,_" he replied, giving her a raised eyebrow and a nod of assent, his omni-tool flaring to life.

She stalked out of the cabin, and snapped an order for the crew deck. She found Miranda sitting behind her desk, and scowled at her. "Remember who gives orders and who follows them on my ship?" she emphasized each word, biting back her temper.

"Yes, the Illusive Man gives my orders first and foremost, then I report to you, Commander," Miranda replied silkily, not at all flustered by Shepard's temper. "And he wishes me to speak with you on an important matter," her pleasant Aussie accent grating on Shepard's nerves.

"And what might that be?" Shepard questioned, striving for patience, resisting the urge to blow something up.

"The Illusive Man is concerned that your...relations with the human mercenary is distracting you."

"Stop right there," Shepard ordered, thrusting her face into Miranda's, "First, what I do on my own time is my business, feel free to tell Timmy-boy that," she drilled a hard finger into Miranda's shoulder, forcing her back a step. "Secondly, if I find anymore monitoring devices in my cabin, I'm throwing the entire Cerberus crew out the airlock and taking this ship to the Alliance. My Spectre status has been reinstated, so I can take care of the Collectors on my own," she said cheerfully, inwardly thrilled as the color drained from Miranda's face. As far as threats went, it was an effective one, even if it wasn't strictly the truth.

She crossed her arms and looked at the Operative, her expression relatively mild, "You do realize Kaidan is an expert at tech, right?" Miranda blanched a second time and a scowl crossed her features.

Miranda glared at her for a moment, and sighed, "Very well, Commander." She stood, and walked around the desk, and leaned a hip the desk, "There is another matter. I find myself in the uncomfortable position of asking for your help."

Shepard ground her teeth and only just resisted rolling her eyes, "Of course you do. What is it?" She listened patiently as Miranda explained the situation about her sister, and assured her they would take care of it.

She stood shoulder to shoulder with Kaidan, Miranda behind them. She could hear the grinding of Miranda's teeth as Kaidan leaned into her, whispering sweet nothings in her ear on an effort to get a rise out of the Operative. She ruthlessly suppressed a shiver as his husky French accent slid down her spine.

"You're trying to distract me," she whispered out the side of her mouth.

"_Oui_," he breathed into her ear, his voice felt like a caress over her skin, "There is the added benefit of making Lawson extremely uncomfortable," he smirked.

Shepard snickered, if Miranda clenched her teeth any harder, she would dislocate her jaw or crack a tooth. They stepped forward as the airlock pressurized, and walked out into the docking tube. "Lawson, go meet your contact, I have an old friend I want to see first. Alenko, with me."

Miranda grumbled under her breath, but said nothing, eyeing the pair suspiciously. She stalked away with one last glance back to glare at them before flouncing off.

"Alone at last," he murmured, snaking an arm around her waist, pressing his lips to her ear. She laughed quietly, and turned her head so her lips met his.

"Let's get this over with so we can get back to the ship," she said, pulling away from him with some regret. They made their way to Liara T'Soni's office, and Shepard chuckled when she heard the formerly shy and somewhat naive asari making an inventive threat over her communicator.

"Never thought I'd here you threatening someone, Liara," Shepard said by way of greeting, always a little uncomfortable around the asari. She accepted Liara's embrace, and the kiss on the cheek. It seemed Liara hadn't gotten over the crush she'd had on Shepard on the original Normandy.

Kaidan growled a little, he wasn't too pleased at the young asari pawing at his woman, even in if it was under the pretense of greeting an old friend.

Liara glanced up, and saw the human merc for the first time, "Oh, hello." She looked back and forth between the pair. "Oh," she said, as she saw the predatory gleam in Kaidan's eyes. "Oh!" she exclaimed when she saw the cocky smile on Shepard's lips, the hungry look in her eyes. "Oh," she murmured a bit wistfully as Shepard stepped back beside Kaidan, and he wrapped a possessive arm around her waist, baring his teeth when he smiled at the asari.

Liara was clearly flustered, "I... Well, certainly wasn't expecting this," she murmured to herself. She straightened her shoulders and moved back behind her desk, sat down behind her terminal. "What can I do for you, Shepard?"

"I need some information about an assassin and a Justicar," Shepard replied, leaning on the desk.

The rest of the time spent with Liara was somewhat less awkward, and se gave them valuable information about both individuals. She also gave Kaidan several appraising looks, curiosity apparent on her face.

"You crushed your asari friend," he murmured as they walked away from Liara's office. "She may never recover," he heard her snort, "I know I wouldn't."

She laughed, "Hard to believe." She smiled at him, and slowed her brisk pace at the serious expression on his face. "What is it?"

"Shepard, I..." he shook his head and brushed passed her, "Let's just get this over with."

She reached out and stopped him with a firm grip on his hand. "Hey," she said softly, and held his gaze. She saw several emotions swimming in his eyes: desire, passion, anger, and something else she couldn't, or wouldn't, name. "Kaidan, me too," she whispered, letting her reciprocating emotions show, and felt his grip tighten.

"I don't know where this is going, Shepard. But I intend to see it through," he gave her a quick nod, and released her hand. He took a deep breath, "After you, Shepard."

She wasn't certain if he meant at that moment in time or of his meaning was more significant.


	8. Chapter 8

Disclaimer: Mass Effect doesn't belong to me, nor do I intend to profit from this work of fiction.

* * *

Kaidan wasn't quite sure what to make of Miranda now, her gratitude towards Shepard for helping her with her sister was almost warm and fuzzy. Almost.

And the assassin, well, he wasn't sure how he felt about the drell, Thane Krios. Shepard had been holed up in life support with him all evening, and Kaidan was not happy in the least about it. He was tempted to march in there and drag her away, kicking and screaming if necessary, but he knew that wouldn't win him any points, so he opted to sit in front of a console in the main battery, tearing it apart, despite the surly looks Garrus kept throwing his way.

Finally, after watching Kaidan take apart the same console four times, Garrus spoke. "She not interested in the drell, you know."

Kaidan grumbled, "So why has she been holed up with him all night?" he snapped at the turian.

Garrus chuckled, "You've got it bad, Alenko." He moved away from his console, and went to stand next to Kaidan, assisting him with his rebuilding, " Shepard has a need to 'fix' her crew's problems for us. She was the same way on the SR1. The drell says he's dying, she's going to get as much information out of him as she can." Garrus studied the human thoughtfully, of he hadn't have been a merc for most of his adult life, they could have been friends.

"So what about me, am I just a problem to be fixed?" he snarled, his anger snapping sharply in the air, a blue corona shimmering around him.

"Hey, calm down," Garrus said mildly, "No, you're different. You don't need fixing. You are relatively well adjusted, for a mercenary of nineteen years."

Kaidan ground his teeth together, forcing his aura to dissipate. "Yeah, I guess." He shrugged, "You don't live that life as long as I did without coming to terms with yourself."

Garrus rubbed his hand over his head, "Alenko, you don't seem like a bad guy, in general. But if you hurt her, I'll kill you myself, if she doesn't, that is."

Kaidan blinked at the turian, "You love her."

Garrus sputtered, "What! No! She's like a sister to me, my best friend."

"Right, keep telling yourself that," Kaidan chuckled, and snapped the last wire back into place. "I'm going to go find Shepard and screw her brains out," he informed the turian and could have sworn Garrus blushed as he sputtered in embarrassment.

Kaidan strolled out the door, and found Thane sitting at the table on the mess. "Have you seen Shepard?" he asked politely, not seeing her around.

"I have not seen her since she left me an hour ago," Thane replied, studying the merc standing beside him. "Perhaps ask the AI?"

"Kaidan, Shepard left the ship 55 minutes ago. She did not take an escort."

"_Merde_," he swore softly, "I know where she's going." He stopped by the crew quarters and picked up his pistol, just in case, before he headed out the airlock.

He found Shepard swaying drunkenly on a bar stool, picking at the Cerberus logo on her uniform. He sighed, so much for screwing her brains out tonight.

Her head picked up as he neared, feeling the familiar tingle of his biotics brushing against hers. "Oh. You found me."

"You didn't want to be found, _cher_?" he asked, sliding onto the stool next to her, a steadying hand at her back.

"No," she muttered into her almost empty glass. She signaled the asari bartender for another, and missed the signal Kaidan gave to cut her off. "I was talk'n to Thane, an' he made me realize some things 'bout myself. Not a good thing." She stared at the glass of fizzy water the bartender set in front of her and frowned.

"What things?" he asked curiously, and lifted her glass to her lips to encourage her to drink some water.

She frowned, "He was telling me 'bout his wife. And he's got a son, didcha know?" she slurred. Her blue eyes were glassy as she turned to face him, almost slipping off the stool, saved only by his strong hand at the small of her back. "Ya know, I n'ver found anyone, n'ver even been in love b'fore, didn't have the time."

His heart constricted at the confused and crestfallen expression on her face. "I thought I was once," he murmured, getting her attention. "Turns out, I had no idea what it really feels like."

She sighed, "I feel like I've been missing out on something," she said quietly, folded her hands in her lap, stared down at her hands. "I think it's you, Kaidan. I think it's always been you."

He grimaced and exhaled loudly, "_ Chérie_, why tell me now?" he interlaced his fingers in hers. "You won't remember in the morning," he said, almost wistfully.

"I'm a champion drinker, silly. Drank a krogan under tha table once. Survived a poisoning attempt on Omega. Stupid batarian," she muttered. "I 'member everything." She teetered dangerously, her hand clutching at his arm, "Kaidan, I think I'm gonna pass out," she breathed, before toppling backwards. He caught her, swearing softly, gathering her up in his arms. He hailed the bartender, and paid her tab, before taking his sleeping burden back to the ship.


	9. Chapter 9

Disclaimer: Mass Effect doesn't belong to me, nor do I intend to profit from this work of fiction.

_A/N: Special thanks to eternalshiva for translating some things for me and also for some plot development. And thanks for all the reviews and favorites and alerts!_

* * *

Kaidan found Shepard in the life support area of the ship. She wasn't really doing anything but staring out the glass at the drive core, an expression of confusion and speculation on her face. He noted the drell was absent the room, and snuck up behind her, pulling her back flush against him, his lips finding her neck.

"Kaidan," she murmured softly, turning in his arms to face him, smiling as his lips came down to brush over hers.

"_A quoi penses-tu, cher__?"_ he asked, smoothing back a stray tendril of her hair. Her hands gripped his strong forearms, pulling him the slightest bit closer.

"Oh, nothing really, just thinking about Samara," she blew out a breath, "She's something else, isn't she?"

Kaidan chuckled, " _Tu pourrais dire ça_," he agreed, and she shivered at the sultry look in his eyes, and her teeth caught her bottom lip.

"No, we can't, not here," she whispered harshly, glancing at the door. "Thane might come back."

"_D'autant plus de raison de se dépêcher, alors__,"_ he mumbled against her throat, his hands gripping her bottom. "Don't tell me you've never want to do this here. Can't you feel your biotics vibrating with dark energy from the drive core?" his voice was a silky caress, the unusual hint of a French accent evident in his tone, and she groaned because she _could_ feel a tingle, but whether it was from the drive core or him, she couldn't be sure.

She felt her skin pebbled into gooseflesh as he flared, his blue corona settling easily around him, his dark energy brushing against her skin. She eyed him suspiciously as she felt him tug her shirt from her pants, and narrowed her eyes as his hands still firmly grasped her bottom. She felt the tickle of dark energy as it flickered against her skin, and she squirmed against him. He backed her up against the wall, his lips pressed firmly against her throat, he brushed a hand against her breast, his other hand working the fly of her pants.

She gasped, her hands gripping his shoulders as his fingers slipped into her pants, stroking her soft folds, his thumb pressing against her sensitive nub. She moaned deep in throat as his fingers slid into her molten heat, "_Tu es déjà tellement humide pour moi_," he murmured against her lips, and his tongue swept into her mouth, dueling with hers. His fingers stroked and fondled, spreading her wetness, making her groan in frustration when his fingers slipped out of her, and gasp as he plunged back into her hot cavity.

"Well, if you're going to have me here, do it now," she demanded between panting breaths, flaring brilliantly as her climax tore through her. Her trembling fingers loosened his pants, and pushed them down his hips, eliciting a groan from him as her hot fingers closed around him.

She jumped up, wrapping her legs about his hips, and she cried out as he sank into her to the hilt, panting loudly as he stroked her deeply. He felt her clenching tightly around him, and neither of them heard the door slid open.

"_Laisse toi allez, ma ch__é__rie_," he murmured, and didn't hear the strangled noise of distress from across the room. "Yes," she cried out, grasping his shoulders tightly, her back bowing sharply against the glass as another orgasm rolled through her.

She blinked in confusion when she saw movement from the corner of her eye, noticed Thane standing there, his mouth agape. "Stop, Kaidan, stop," she whispered, "Thane is-" she panted, beside herself as the sensation of him pumping into threatened to overwhelm her. "Kaid- oh," she gasped and her head feel back against the glass as she climaxed helplessly, Kaidan just shrugged and kept up his tempo, he couldn't have stopped if he'd wanted too, anyway. He smirked evilly as she raised her arm, gathering dark energy and chuckled as she pushed the confused drell out the door.

He groaned deeply as his own release ripped through him, and he gave one last great thrust of his hips as he emptied into her. "_Mmm… cher_," he murmured into her hair, still gripping her hips tightly.

"You ass," she muttered, shoving lightly on his chest, returning his kiss as his lips met hers.

"_T'aime ça__,"_ he grinned mischievously.

"Yeah, I do."

* * *

Shepard wasn't very thrilled to be dragged out onto Omega for drinks with the crew. She had learned her lesson the other night, and just nursed her drink. The turian bartender claimed it was whiskey, but it tasted more like piss to her, all the more reason to take her time. She'd been dragged out on the dance floor by Kaidan once already, but he'd quickly returned her to her bar stool after she'd trod on his feet one too many times.

She smiled as he whispered creative suggestions into her ear, his fingers sliding up her inner thigh. She laughed huskily, and glanced sideways at him, she was ready to head back to the ship, and soon. From across the room, she caught Thane's eyes, and the drell quickly looked away. She smiled wryly; she still owed him an apology. "Kaidan, I need to talk to Thane," she murmured softly, and patted his hand, biting her lip at the bereft expression on his face. "Faker," she laughed softly.

He chuckled, "_Avec toi, jamais_."

She stood and made her way through the writhing, sweaty bodies until she was sitting next to Thane. "Thane, I-"

"Commander, please, do not apologize," he interrupted her, "I was with my wife once as you are with Alenko," Thane studied her for several long moments. "I would apologize for interrupting, but I don't think it made a difference in the outcome of your encounter."

Shepard snapped her jaw shut, blushing furiously, she truly was sorry if she had cause the drell any embarrassment, but she wasn't sorry for her actions. She opened her mouth to reply, but was unceremoniously shoved to the grimy floor by Thane as he hurled a biotic field at a batarian mercenary bearing down on them with a barstool raised over his head.

She grumbled loudly, and pounded the ground with a powerful shockwave, ripping though the club floor, catching the combating patrons into the air as they were caught unawares. She turned slightly to her right, and found the asshole coordinating the scuffling mercenaries and flared up to charge across the room at him.

Across the bar, Kaidan had also spotted the ringleader, and he charged up a powerful warp field to take the batarian down. He released the dark energy, and was horrified as Shepard took the brunt of the attack as she charged. He was relieved that her barrier deflected most of the damage, and to his chagrin, her clothing practically disintegrated into nothing. He stopped short as his naked lover ripped the batarians arm behind him, dislocating it at the shoulder and shoved him mercilessly to the ground.

Thane, who had followed closely behind Shepard, stopped short as his eidetic memory took over, and he had a flashback from earlier. "_Her moan, loud and breathless, he speaks - _Laisse toi allez, ma chérie_. The light flashes brightly, it blinds me; she screams in delight, he shouts."_ The surrounding crew of the Normandy looked curiously at Shepard as a flush rushed up the back of her neck to suffuse across her face.

Shepard turned sharply on her heel to stare the assassin at her back, and noticed that the bar had turned suspiciously quiet. She glanced down, and noticed her naked form, and grit her teeth. She glared across the room at Kaidan, as he stood doubled over, gasping for breath, clutching his sides with laughter.

She narrowed her eyes, and stomped her foot as her crew stared at her, holding off the unresisting mercenaries as she stood there. She grit her teeth and selected a new target, springing off her feet to charge into her next victim, naked as the day she was born. The noise level in the bar rose to a fever pitch, but it only last a few minutes as she darted around the room, slamming into mercenaries, driving them to the floor mercilessly.

She stomped towards the door, gloriously naked, and heard Aria call down from her balcony, "Get your naked tits back to your ship, Shepard."

Shepard didn't break her stride, "Nice of you to help out with the fight in your bar," she tossed over her shoulder, snarling at a batarian that made to approach her. She continued her furious march back to the docking tube, tossing unsuspecting civilian out of her way if they got to close or looked at her wrong. She didn't hear Kaidan running up behind her, grabbing her up just outside the airlock.

"_Ta chambre, tout de suite_," he demanded, fusing his lips to hers.

She just smirked at him.


	10. Chapter 10

Disclaimer: Mass Effect doesn't belong to me, nor do I intend to profit from this work of fiction.

_A/N: Pretty much, just assume that eternalshiva helped me with this, for the rest of where ever this goes. Now, on with French Kaidan!_

* * *

Shepard found Kaidan in the shuttle bay, and it looked suspiciously like he was meditating. Curious, she sat down cross-legged in front of him, and placed her palms on his knees to get his attention.

_"Oui?" _he peeked one eye open to study her, _"__Est-ce que je peux t'aider, cher__?"_

She took in his crackling blue aura, his gorgeous brown eyes reflecting blue back at her. She inhaled his scent, a hint of the spicy whiskey she now knew he kept in a flask in his footlocker, sandalwood, and armor polish. "No, I was just looking for you."

He chuckled, and leaned into her, capturing her lips with his, his strong hands pulling her into his lap with the help of the accumulated dark energy. "_M'as-tu manqué_?"

She smiled slyly, "Actually, I was hoping you could teach me something."

" _Certainement_, _cher_."

"You don't even know what I want yet," she laughed, pushing playfully against his chest.

" _Je suis certain que c'est pas un problème_," his smug smile crossed his lips, and he reached out to tuck a strand of hair behind her ear. Her face, normally difficult to read, was open and laughing, amusement twinkling in her sapphire blue eyes.

"I want you to teach me that stasis field you use."

"Why would you ever need to use it? Up close and personal is more your style," his confusion was evident in his tone, as well as wariness. He was certain he was being set up, he just wasn't sure how.

"Exactly. I could put a small group in stasis before charging into them. Decimation is the name of the game," he raised an eyebrow out her bloodthirsty tone, slightly taken aback as she winked at him.

"Well, if you think you'll actually use it," he trailed off, disappointed when she clamored out of his lap, springing back several feet to toss a weak stasis field at him. He chuckled as the effect wore off within seconds, and jumped to his feet. _"__Pas pire, pour un amateur."_

"I've been watching you," she grinned, taking a fighting stance, waggling her eyebrows at him.

"_Aimes-tu ce que tu vois__?"_ he drawled, sauntering over to her on his long legs. He gripped her hips pulling her back flush against him. "Just follow my lead, cher," he murmured, making her shiver as they charged up their biotics together, and she silently went through the motions with him, feeling the subtle difference in the crackle of his dark energy.

He was surprised, she learned quickly. She had a knack for mastering her biotics he'd only seen in asari and himself. She could sense the shift in his aura, the differences in the way he manipulated the energy pulsing around them. He grinned, and set his lips to her neck, trying to distract her as she focused on the task at hand.

She shrugged her shoulder, attempting to deter him, but he persisted. He brushed his hand down her belly, his finger sneaking into her pants. She shivered against him, and narrowed her eyes as she hurled the ball of dark energy at a makeshift target.

"_Très bien,"_ he murmured into her ear, his hands slipping further into her pants, sliding through the curls at the apex of her thighs to stroke her softly, slipping his fingers through her soft folds. "_Je parie que tu es déjà humide pour moi, nest-ce pas?__"_ he asked softly, his lips whispering against her ear.

She groaned in frustration, she was trying to learn a new technique, but he was distracting her with his lips against her ear, his fingers gliding against her slick sex. She groaned loudly, her head falling back against his shoulder as his fingers pushed against her tight entrance, his thumb pressing tight circles against her delicate nub.

She panted as she tried to resist his considerable efforts, trying to concentrate on manipulating the dark energy swirling around them both. She closed her eyes, her focus waning as his hot lips closed over the sensitive lobe of her ear, his fingers sliding easily into her molten center. She gasped, rocking her hips back against him, flaring brightly as he nibbled along the column of her throat, his fingers delving deeply into her core.

His husky laughter met her ears, and with a strangled cry she shoved him away from her. "You're supposed to be teaching me," she rasped, eyeing him, her pupils dilated, her breasts heaving with each erratic breath she took. She stared at him as he flared and sauntered closer to her, and growled in her throat as she found herself stuck firmly in place.

"_Tu planifie quelque chose, ma chérie__,"_ he murmured, kissing her silently snarling lips.

He sighed in frustration as EDI's voice filtered through the large space, "Shepard, you are needed in the Port Cargo Bay. Grunt is being…unruly.

Kaidan released the stasis field and Shepard stomped over to him, plowing her glowing fist into his belly, the air rushing out of his lungs at contact. He scowled as she stalked towards the elevator, tossing a narrow-eyed glance over her shoulder before the elevator door slid shut behind her.

* * *

Not much later, Shepard ran into Kaidan on the crew deck, still damp from a shower, his towel tucked around his hips; heading towards the crew quarters. She grinned evilly and snatched his towel away from him with her biotics, licking her lips at the view. Her eyes traveled down his sculpted form, from his broad shoulders, down his muscular back, to the delicious rounding of his rear, and he gaze landed on the tattoo on his left cheek. It was a fist, glowing and crackling with biotic sparks, and with every flex of his ass, the energy seemed to charge up and dissipate. It was an impressive piece of art.

She laughed, and twirled the towel in her hands, snapping it at the glowing fist, making him yelp at the unexpected contact. She smirked, and froze him in place with a stasis field, the one she had learned years ago but never mastered. With a malicious glint in her eyes, she moved closer to him, the swagger of her hips enough to make his mouth as dry as the Sahara.

"_Tu le savais déjà__," _he accused hoarsely.

"You never told me about your tattoo," she retorted, trailing a fingertip over the design, making his skin jump under her touch.

He swallowed, _"__Tu m'a déjà vu nu__, cher_."

"Yeah, but you're so busy bending me over, or fucking me against a wall, I never have gotten a good look at your… _assets_," she murmured appreciatively, her warm palm gripping his backside firmly.

He groaned, desperately fighting the field locking him into place. He held his breath as she circled him, her fingers exploring his damp, naked flesh. He caught her gaze, and had he been able, his head would have fallen back, and his knees would have gone weak at the predatory gleam present in her gaze.

She stepped in front of him, her lips centimeters in front of his, her breasts just grazing his chest. "I'm going to suck your cock until you're begging to bury yourself inside me," she said, her voice oddly flat and yet still seductive, one eyebrow raised as she slowly lowered herself to her knees. His breath caught in his throat as her lips closed around the tip of his full erection, her tongue swirling hotly around the silken head. Her lips traveled the length of his arousal, and she pulled her mouth away with a soft pop. "You could teach me French," she murmured, her lips brushing against his sensitive skin.

"_Uh, qu-qu'est-c-ce que t-tu veux savoir_?" he managed as her hot lips slid up and down his length, her tongue flickering against him.

"How do you say cock?" she mumbled around him, barely understandable.

"_Bizoune_," he gasped, his hips twitching in place, groaning against the sensation of her mouth wrapped around him.

"_Bizoune_," she garbled, making him chuckle in spite of himself. He exhaled audibly as her hand came up to cup his balls. "These?"

"_Couilles_," he groaned, wishing desperately he wasn't stuck in place.

Her words muffled as her tongue licked him from base to tip, "_Couilles_," she murmured huskily, "I'm going to suck you?" she asked, her lips closing over him again, the suction her lips created nearly his undoing.

"_J-Je vais te- ah, cher__," _he murmured, his eyes nearly rolling back in his head, her lips pulling away as she rocked back on her heels.

"I'm waiting," she said, her voice husky with need.

"_Je vais te sucer_," he whispered harshly, a gravelly moan breaking from his lips as her lips closed around him again.

Her lips curved in a sexy smile around him, "_Je vais te sucer_," she repeated, her eyes never leaving his.

He bit back a groan as he flared brilliantly, freeing himself from the stasis field, fisting his hand in her hair, his other hand closing around her upper arm. He hauled her to her feet, and slammed her against the nearest wall, yanking her pants down, hearing seams rip in the process. He thanked his lucky stars that she'd left her boots in her cabin and with a fierce groan, he pulled her thighs up to wrap around her hips, and plunged into her, dragging a soft cry of surprise from her.

""_Je vais te baiser_," he whispered fervently, pumping his hips into her, filling her with every thrust of his hips.

"_Je vais te baiser_," she panted against his shoulder, her sharp, white teeth clamping down on the pulse point of his throat. She moaned sharply, her back bowing against the bulkhead behind her as he stroked her to her heated core with each thrust of his hips, and she tilted her pelvis to meet every movement of his hips.

"_Viens pour moi, ma chérie_," he whispered, his teeth pulling at the sensitive lobe of her ear, making her breath come in uneven pants.

Her thighs tightened around his hip, and she gasped out, "_Viens pour moi, ma chérie_." She clutched at his shoulders, her nails digging half-moons into his flesh as her orgasm ripped through her, dragging him helplessly after her with a shout. She arched her hips against him, her breath coming in soft gasps as she rode out the wave of their release with him.

"_Merde_," he swore softly, leaning his head against the cool metal of the wall behind her. Her lips met his in soft kiss. "_Tu sais, je t'aime vraiment__, cher_,"

"Mmm, _je t'aime_," she murmured softly, repeating words he'd previously whispered to her. This time, they sounded perfect.


	11. Chapter 11

Disclaimer: Mass Effect doesn't belong to me, nor do I intend to profit from this work of fiction.

_A/N: I can't even tell you how much your reviews mean to me. Seriously, I love you all. I am overcome with emotion that you would defend me and my fic. No lie._

* * *

Shepard stopped short when she walked into her cabin. Kaidan was sitting on her bed, his bag of gear sitting at his feet. She clenched her teeth, aware of the implications of his actions as he sat smirking at her. "What do you think you're doing?" she hissed, tossing the datapad she'd been looking at on her desk.

"I'm moving in," he replied simply, with a shrug of his shoulders.

"No, you're not," she stated flatly, shaking her head, gesturing towards the door.

He rose, and moved over to stand in front of her, "_Chérie_, if you're going to fuck me in the hallway of the crew deck because I happened to be taking a shower before you walked by, _alors oui, j'habite avec toi__._" His hands came up to rest on her shoulders, his lips dipping down to brush against hers.

Her palms rested against his chest, "Just wait, let me think." She moved away from him, dropping down on the cushions of her sofa. A small spread across her lips as she thought of the benefits of having him essentially live in her cabin with her. She'd have someone to stick her cold feet on every night, and maybe they could actually get to know each other a little, he was still a big mystery to her. Of course, she'd also have to share her space with him, not something she liked to do. When she'd first gotten her own quarters with command of the SR1, she'd practically jumped for joy.

"Ok, but I have stipulations. If I tell you to get out, you leave, no questions asked," she patted the cushion next to her, and to be perverse, he sat on the coffee table across from her, earning a scowl.

"_Bien sûr_," he replied easily, and knew he was throwing her off her stride by being agreeable. He noted the look of consternation on her face, "_Chère_, I want to make this work. Arguing with you isn't going to help. Besides, I get a perverse thrill at throwing you off balance," he smirked, rubbing his palms on her thighs.

She laughed, and shook her head, "You would," she murmured and leaned forward so her forehead touched his. "I have some work to do," she said softly, "Make yourself at home, I guess."

He captured her lips, his fingers twining in her hair, cupping the back of her head, "_Je le suis déjà_."

She shook her head and stood, running her fingers through his hair on her way to sit behind her desk. Kaidan flopped down on the couch, throwing his arm over his eyes. He'd felt a migraine brewing for a little while now, and now that the confrontation that he'd been anticipating wasn't really a confrontation at all; he groaned softly and tried to will himself to sleep.

* * *

Shepard was focused on her work, writing a few reports to send to Hackett and Anderson, documenting her dealings with Cerberus. She also had some encrypted data to send then, but she'd worry about that later. She glanced around sharply when she heard someone rasp out her name, having forgotten that Kaidan was in the room. She stood up suddenly, her chair toppling over with a loud clatter, and she heard another strained groan, and remembered Kaidan, feeling foolish.

"Hey, are you alright?" she called softly, moving down the steps, stopping short in at the sight of him, his skin clammy and pale, his eyes buried in the crook of his arm. She backtracked, and hit the controls to dim the lights in an effort to bring him some measure of relief. She knew he had migraines, but she'd yet to see him in the throes of one. She wasn't quite sure what she should do for him.

"Hey!" she exclaimed softly as he surged to his feet and staggered towards the head.

"Can I puke in peace?" he grunted irritably, dropping to his knees in front of the toilet as the door whisked shut behind him. She winced; she'd rather patch together a gushing wound in the field than listen to someone retching. She moved towards her desk, looking for a bottle of water, and contemplated calling Dr. Chakwas to see if he needed meds, but decided against it. He was a grown man; he knew what he needed.

She whipped around when the door slid open, and he staggered out. He made a soft noise as she wrapped a warm arm around his waist, guiding him towards the bed. He sat on the edge, and took the bottle of water she offered, taking a tentative sip. "_Pourrais-tu_?" he gestured to his bag, curling up on his side after he recapped the bottle of water. "My meds, in my bag," he croaked, "Pre-measured syringe."

She rifled through his bag, feeling weird going through his things. She found the pressure syringe, and depressed the trigger after she placed it against his arm. She reached over to stroke his hair, but he just groaned, and pulled a pillow over his eyes, trying to tell her to go away with out actually speaking.

She remembered something one of the N7 students she'd trained with had told her about massage helping her migraines sometimes, and she tentatively pressed her cool fingertips to his temples, rubbing small circles against his clammy skin.

He sighed softly, whatever she was doing; it was helping. The combination of the meds swimming in his bloodstream and her cool hand rubbing his scalp and brow were helping the worst of the pain to back off. "_Merci, chère_," he slurred softly, his tongue heavy in his mouth in his heavily drugged state.

She sat with him for a long while, his head resting in her lap, her fingers still gently massaging his scalp. She really wished she could stretch her back, her muscles were cramping fiercely with the effort to hold herself perfectly still. Kaidan had fallen asleep hours ago, and she was loath to disturb him. "_Maman_," he mumbled in his sleep,

"Kaidan?" she said quietly, running her hands through his hair.

He woke with a start, glancing blearily around, "Shepard," he murmured, gently gripping her hand as her fingers laced in his. "_Je croyais_…" he trailed off, his brain still foggy from the dregs of the migraine and his meds.

She giggled softly, "You thought I was your mother?"

"_Ah, __pas exactement_," his voice was still slurred, his tongue didn't want to move correctly, and his curious French accent was sneaking through. "_Maman _used to rub my head for me like that, shortly after I got my implant, it just... It took me back, I guess." He turned his head to glance at her 'tool, noted the time. "Stiff yet?" he asked softly.

She groaned, and stretched her back, falling back against the mattress with his head still pillowed on her lap. "Tell me about your mother?" she asked quietly.

Kaidan sighed, he hadn't thought about his parents in, well, years. "My mother was an engineer. She grew up in Quebec, went to school in the States, where she met my dad. They got married, and they got sent to Singapore for a few years while my dad was with the Alliance."

Shepard sucked in a breath, "Your dad was Alliance?"

"_Oui_," he said tiredly, his words still slurring, "Maman worked for a company doing mass effect field research, and was exposed to eezo while she was pregnant with me. I was one of the lucky ones," he said quietly. "There were a lot of woman that lost their babies, or they got terminal cancer as children."

She nodded, she had heard the stories; she supposed she was one of the lucky ones as well. She scrubbed her fingers through his hair, ruffling his short curls, knowing they would spike up erratically in the morning.

He made a soft noise of approval, and gingerly rolled so that her breasts cushioned his head. "My dad left the Alliance after that, and they moved to Vancouver, where some of his family had settled down. They got a place overlooking English Bay, I was born, and you know the rest from my dossier."

Shepard's fingers laced with his, and she smiled as she shook her head, "I really don't, actually. Your dossier was pretty light on the personal details."

" _Très bien_. _Qu'est-ce que tu veux savoir_?" he closed his eyes, still sensitive to the light, even the husky sound of her soft voice was starting to wear on him.

"Have you spoken to them since the incident on Jump Zero?" she asked.

Kaidan groaned, "We got sent home, and my dad and I had a huge falling out. I stormed out of the house and never looked back, catching the next shuttle off Earth."

"Don't you miss them?" she murmured. "My dad died a few years ago, I miss him terribly."

He pondered her words for several long minutes, relishing in the blessed silence, "I never really thought about it, I guess." He exhaled, "But yeah, I guess I do."

Shepard lay quietly in the semi-darkness with him, listening as his breathing evened out as sleep snuck up on him. "We have time, I can take you to see them before we hit the Omega-4 relay."

"_J'aimerais ça_," he slurred softly, sighing as he drifted off to sleep.

* * *

They slept in the next morning, he because he was sleeping off his meds; she because she was exhausted from staying up until the wee hours with him. She didn't have anything pressing at the moment, having instructed Joker and EDI to scan the planets of the system they were in for minerals.

She woke to an onslaught to her senses, her skin on fire as his clever fingers kneaded her breasts, his other hand drifting down her belly to the sweet curls between her thighs, his thumb pressing against her damp sex.

"_Bonjour_, _ch__è__re_," his husky voice met her ears, as her bleary eyes blinked open. She gasped as his lips lowered to take her nipple into his mouth, his tongue swiping a sensual caress over her heated skin. His fingers plunged into her heated center, and her hips bucked violently off the bed.

The languid remnants of sleep fled as she pushed against his shoulder, and rolled over on top of him. "How do you say, 'Let me ride you?'" she asked, her voice a silken caress, her sex gliding hotly against his firm arousal.

He swallowed hard, "_Ah, __laisse moi te monter_," he groaned as she slid down his thick shaft, her tight walls stretching around him.

She threw her head back, her breasts jutting out proudly and her back bowed deeply. "_Laisse moi te monte_r," her husky laughter lingered in the air, her hips rocking against his, sliding up and down his thick shaft, her strong inner muscles clasping tightly about him.

Mewling cries left her lips as she panted, her strong fingers lacing with his, gripping tightly as her orgasm built up within her. Her release rolled through her with a moan, and he grasped her shoulders, pulling her into a tight embrace as his hips pumped into her. Her lips clamped down on the pulse point in his throat, her tongue laving roughing against his skin.

His chest heaved as he panted, and he shouted harshly as his release tore through him. He felt her teeth scraping against his skin, her fingernails digging half-moons into his skin. She sighed into the crook of his neck, "_Je t'aime_."

He chuckled softly, "_Je t'aime, aussi_."


	12. Chapter 12

Disclaimer: Mass Effect doesn't belong to me, nor do I intend to profit from this work of fiction.

_A/N: This has all my feels. Thanks again to eternalshiva for translating for me._

* * *

Shepard stared out the car window; it had many, many years since she'd last stepped foot on Earth. So, for her first trip back to be during the middle of winter? She was not amused.

She had allotted a few days for this expedition, if only because it had taken some arranging as they couldn't bring the Normandy anywhere close to the planet. They'd had to hop a shuttle into Vancouver and rent a car to make the trip. Miranda had frowned when Shepard told her the plan, but had produced unmarked clothes for her when she'd asked with a gruff warning to be careful.

She glanced up as they parked in front of a well maintained home, on a block of well-manicured lawns. He climbed out of the car, and came around to offer her a hand, pulling her close to him, his hand skimming down the curve of her spine to rest splayed across the small of her back.

She nearly licked her lips as she took on his low-slung, worn-in jeans; the form fitting cotton tee, over which he wore an unbuttoned plaid shirt, the sleeves rolled up past his elbows, showing off his muscular arms. A pair of ass-kicking combat boots completed the outfit, and she longed to rip his clothes from him and ravish him.

"_C'est une mauvaise idée_," he muttered to himself, relieved when she fell easily in step with him as they headed towards the back door.

She tilted her head to look at him, "You don't have to do this."

He shook his head, and knocked on the back door, surprised at how awkward it felt knocking on his own parents' door. At his own home. "_Non, mais je crois que j'ai besoin de le faire__."_ He exhaled quietly; this had stopped being home many years ago. He blinked when he realized he felt most at home with this woman at his side, no matter where they were. "_Chère_..."

He was cut off when the door was quietly opened and his mother stood before him, staring. He and his mother stared at each other in silence. Shepard blinked rapidly when they both broke into a rapid string of French, her translator only picking up one word in five.

"_Ou étais-tu_?" Mrs. Alenko shouted at her son. "_Quelle raison as-tu pour revenir soudain comme cela après toute ses années? Pourquoi as-tu attendu si longtemps_?" She rounded on Shepard, who just blinked, not understanding a word the older woman was saying, His mother gesticulated wildly as she hurried on, "_Qui est cette femme, pourquoi l'as-tu amener avec toi? Elle n'est pas enceinte, j'espère_?" Her eyes slanted narrowly.

Shepard watched Kaidan as a slow smile spread across his lips, what she would have termed a shit-eating grin. "_Maman, __je suis de retour__._" He placed his hands on her shoulders, and pulled her into a warm embrace.

Shepard felt out of place, awkward in the jeans and t-shirt she wore, shivering in the cold. Kaidan's mother was tall and willow slim, with sparkling brown eyes, Kaidan's eyes. Her son hadn't inherited many other physical traits from his mother, that was certain. There was an innate grace about the older woman, and her face was still attractive despite her weeping.

Her jaw dropped when Kaidan's father turned the corner, "Woman, what's all that racket?" he muttered gruffly, but the gentle look in his eyes as he watched his wife belied his tone. Shepard was stunned; she now knew exactly what Kaidan would look like in 25 to 30 years. His hair was silver, with small traces of black, and there was evidence on his brow that laughter and humor was a big part of his life from the lines etched there. She couldn't help but wonder if it was of the sarcastic, dry-witted variety like his son.

Kaidan's expression hardened almost imperceptibly, and his mother frowned as he stiffened and pulled away from her to stand next to Shepard, his hand automatically going to the small of her back. "Hey Dad."

His dad cleared his throat, "Hey son. Who's your friend?"

The two men stared awkwardly at each other, neither willing to make the first move. Shepard wrapped an arm around Kaidan, and unceremoniously pushed him towards his dad, biting back a grin as he stumbled a bit. A small smile crossed the older man's face, and he pulled his son in for a tight hug.

Shepard waited quietly as Kaidan opened his arm and pulled his mother into the embrace as well. He stepped away, and grabbed Shepard's hand. "Dad, Maman, this is Commander Shepard. She's the reason I came back. Shepard, this is my mother, Eleanore Alenko, and my father, Richard Alenko."

Richard stared hard at her, "The Commander Shepard? With the Alliance? I thought you were dead."

"I get that a lot," she muttered, "It a long story. But it's nice to meet you both," she extended her hand to both of his parents.

"Nice to meet you, too, Commander," Richard said, curiosity evident on his face as he studied her. He was clearly curious how his son had come to be associated with an Alliance marine.

"Come in to the kitchen, we'll have coffee. _As-tu faim, j'allais faire a dinner_," Eleanore prattled happily, and pulled Shepard into the kitchen after her, leaving Kaidan and his dad to deal with the small overnight bags they'd each brought. "You didn't dress very seasonally," she observed as Shepard shivered a little from the cold. "We're expecting snow tonight, it's good you got here when you did."

"Snow?" Shepard groaned. She hated the cold, and snow was even worse.

Eleanore smiled, "It shouldn't be too bad, only a couple of inches." She looked up as Kaidan and Richard entered the room, "Kaidan, show Shepard to the guest bedroom, it's still in the same place. Your room hasn't changed much either."

Kaidan cleared his throat, obviously embarrassed, "Uh, Shepard is actually going to stay with me," he muttered.

Shepard's face turned bright red, and his dad's eyebrows flew up as he realized just what that meant. "You mean you're..." he waggled his fingers, a move Kaidan sometimes did, and she nearly laughed. "How did-"

Kaidan snapped at his dad, exasperated, "Well, we insert rod A into slot B until there's enough friction to create an explosion. Is that helpful?"

"Kaidan," she murmured to him, embarrassed as she pressed a placating palm on his arm. "I hired Kaidan for an important mission, and I think we both got more than we bargained for in the process," Shepard explained softly, smiling at his parents. She could already see how Kaidan and his father had fallen out with each other. Their temperaments were nearly identical.

Eleanore frowned at her husband, "Go ahead and show Shepard upstairs. I'll have lunch ready in a bit." She shooed them out of the kitchen.

Shepard grabbed her bag, and followed Kaidan up the stairs, hearing Eleanore speaking to Richard in her rapid French, and his low, gravelly reply.

She stifled a shriek as his hand fisted in her shirt, dragging her into his room, and pressing her back against the closed door. _"__ T'es si belle, je pourrais te manger__," _he rumbled, his lips crushing down on hers.

"I think I like your parents," she murmured against his lips, trying not to be distracted. "But I'll thank you not to embarrass me anymore," she moaned softly as his hand snuck under her shirt, kneading her breasts as his lips brushed against her throat.

_"__ J'essayerais__,"_ he murmured against her skin, slipping a knee between her thighs, rubbing against her heated center. He groaned in frustration when a soft knock sounded on his door.

His mother stood on the other side of the door, with a soft smile on her lips. She took in their flushed features and kiss-reddened lips. _"__ Est-ce que je peux avoir quelques instant avec mon fils__?" _she asked softly, her voice lilting musically as she tilted her head to study them.

Shepard smoothed her hands over her hips, checking that her clothes were in order, and nodded, "Sure. No problem." She pressed a kiss to Kaidan's cheek, "I'll be in the kitchen," she murmured, and moved by his mother, heading back down the stairs.

She glanced up as Richard pushed a steaming mug of coffee across the island in the middle of the kitchen with a thoughtful smile, "I assume you take yours black like most marines."

"Hell yeah," she grinned, and savored the first sip as it warmed her belly.

His dad sighed, looking hard into his mug, as though debating what he should say next. "How does the first human Spectre hook up with a mercenary operating out of the Terminus Systems?"

Shepard chuckled, "I meet a lot of people as a Spectre. Some good, some bad. Kaidan happens to be one of the good ones. He just doesn't believe it yet." She moved around to stand in front of the older man, "I don't know what you and he fought over, and to be frank, I don't care. If you haven't forgiven him yet, you need to."

He nodded gravely, "You have a way about you for making peace, don't you?"

She shook her head, and laid a hand on his shoulder, "It's not that. Kaidan's ready to forgive and forget, or he wouldn't be here. So move on, and try to be proud of your son."

"You're already gone in love with him, aren't you?" he chuckled, and at her stricken look, he continued on languidly, making her more uncomfortable, "My boy is lucky to have found such a woman to set him on the straight and narrow."

"Not so straight and narrow," she muttered under her breath, thinking of Cerberus and the Illusive Man.

"Well, whatever mission you're on, it must be important. Just try to bring him back to us at the end of it."

Shepard bit her lip, not sure what to tell his father, "I'll do my best."

* * *

Kaidan and Shepard sat out on the enclosed balcony off the living room, having built up a massive fire in the fireplace out there for just that purpose. It was still a little chilly, and Shepard had several fluffy blankets tucked around her. She sipped at a glass of whiskey his dad had pressed into her hands, watching the snow fall.

"So, are you and your dad good now?" she asked softly, rubbing her palm over the back of the hand that rested on her thigh.

He grinned as her hand pulled his closer to her hot center, and wiggled his fingers against her through her jeans_. "__Oui, je crois bien__,"_ he took her glass out of her hand and placed it on the coffee table. "_Merci, ma chérie." _He pushed her back into the cushions of the sofa, covering her torso with his warm bulk. _"__Je crois, dans sa propre façon, il est fière de moi__," _he murmured, his lips whispering against hers.

"Kaidan, he's your dad, of course he's proud of you. And any idiot can see that the two of you are too alike for your own good."

"Yeah, _Maman_ was always telling us that after we had a fight," his hands buffed gently against her arms.

Her back arched beneath him, "Smart woman, your mom." She sighed as his hands tugged at the fly of her jeans, slipping them down her hips. "I've wanted you all day," she murmured against his throat, moaning as his fingers found her slick center.

"_Et bien alors, laisse moi t'aimer__,"_ came his sultry reply, his breath hot against the sensitive lobe of her ear. His fingers pressed against her smooth folds, stroking her into a frenzy as she tossed her head against the cushions, groaning as his fingers pressed into her hot core.

"Kaidan," she gasped, clutching at his shoulders, "Your parents."

"_Nous sommes tous les deux des adultes, chère, ont fait ce que l'ont veux__,"_ he mumbled against shoulder. She moaned as her orgasm built up within her, and a strangled groan caught in her throat as she tumbled over the edge of her release. Her fingers struggled with his belt, her desperation to have him buried within her nearly palpable, her aura flaring dangerously.

"_Ah, ah__,_ _chère_," he murmured, his fingers still fondling and stroking her over-sensitized flesh. _"__La patience est une vertu__."_

"Not one I've ever had," she bit out, sighing with satisfaction as she successfully navigated the fly of his jeans, and wrapped her hand around his thick erection. "I want you, now," she practically whimpered into his ear. Her chest heaved as his silky tip parted her slick folds, pressing hotly against her tight entrance, piercing her slowly as she panted beneath him.

She cried out with need as his hips slowly pumped in and out, drawing out each stroke to make her moan and buck against him. She took matters into her own hands when she wrapped her long legs around his waist, holding him close, her pelvis tilted up to allow him deeper access.

He groaned as her release ripped through her a second time, urging him to a faster pace with each jerk of her hips. A groan rumbled from deep in his chest, and his own climax swept through him, and he slumped against her, sweaty and spent.

They lay together in the aftermath of their loving, matching smiles on their lips, and with a groan, he sat up, pulling her into his lap, arranging the blankets around her shoulders to keep her warm.

"Shepard_, __merci de m'avoir amené_," he murmured, his warm brown eyes holding her gaze. "I didn't realize how much I've missed having my parents in my life."

She smiled at him and said nothing.

He sighed, "It's made me think, about the things missing in my life. _Je ne réalisais pas ce que je manquais__."_ He pressed a heated kiss to her brow, "You, Shepard. It's always been you. I guess being here, seeing my parents again, made me realize it. _Je l'aurais découvert éventuellement__…"_ he frowned slightly as she shifted uncomfortably in his lap. "_Ma chérie, je t'aime_, since the day I first saw you," he picked up her hands, and laced his fingers through hers, "Shepard, _je veux ta main en mariage_," he murmured against her lips.

She stared at him in disbelief, "What did you just say?" She shoved hard against the hard wall of his chest, not trusting her ears.

"I just asked you to marry me_, t__u es pas mal entêté__," _he frowned at her, proposing hadn't really been part of his plans, and to have her freak out, well, that was throwing him even more off his game. His arms held her firmly in his lap as she struggled against him, trying to stand.

"No, this isn't happening. No, N7's don't get married. Spectres' don't get married. We die young and in a blaze of glory and with no regrets," she was panicking, and she knew it, and she swallowed hard against the knot forming in her throat. "You don't want to marry me."

"_Oui, je veux__._ I want to grow old with you, argue with you, and make love to you for the rest of our natural or unnatural lives. _Bon dieu, chère, pourquoi est-ce que tu rends tout si difficile?__" _He was trying hard not to feel despair at her rejection. To say it stung was putting it mildly. "_Ont peut pas en parler__?"_

"There is nothing to say. I didn't start a fling with you to fall in love with you, and I certainly didn't start this to find a husband. I'm Commander Fucking Shepard, I don't need this. I don't need you!" she was practically shouting, her fury nearly tangible as she hopped around on one foot attempting to re-dress herself.

He stood and got in her face, his palms wrapping firmly around her shoulders to hold her in place, "If there is anything being with you has shown me, it's that everyone needs someone. _J'ai besoin de toi. Tu as besoins de moi. C'est quoi la raison de s'obstiner__?"_

"Because I don't want to break your heart!" she shouted at him. Stunned, he released her as she shoved hard against his chest once more, making him stumble a few steps back as she rushed past him. He stood blinking, trying to make sense of what had just happened, springing into action when he heard the back door slam, and the sound of the car engine turning over. He sprinted across the house and out the back door, skidding to a halt as the tail lights winked out of view in the swirling snow.

He turned back towards the house, and found his parents standing in the doorway. He trudged through the snow and stood in front of them, the sorrow on his face enough to break his mother's heart. "We heard shouting," she said softly, concern evident in her voice.

"_Elle m'a quitté__,"_ he said sadly, not resisting as his mother steered him inside. "_J'ai proposé, et elle m'a quitté_."

His father shook his head, "Well, son, I had to propose to your mother five times before she finally agreed. I know it doesn't help, but we Alenko men are stubborn sons-of-bitches."

Kaidan's head snapped up to look at his mother, and her mischievous nod confirmed his father's statement.

"Get your bag, I'll take you to the shuttle station. If I'm going to have a daughter-in-law, I couldn't ask for a better one than Commander Shepard. You better fight like hell to bring her back."

"Thanks, Dad, I will."


	13. Chapter 13

Disclaimer: Mass Effect doesn't belong to me, nor do I intend to profit from this work of fiction.

* * *

Being on the Citadel always made Kaidan uncomfortable; and Shepard's friend, Captain Bailey, had given him several scrutinizing looks. He had a feeling if he wasn't part of Shepard's squad, he'd have been arrested and hauled in for questioning. He was glad he was with Shepard. He frowned, well; he supposed he was mostly happy to be with Shepard. Despite their situation, she was still taking him on missions.

His ears pricked up when he heard the name Fade. "I've heard that name before," he murmured to Shepard, "Never worked with him myself, but I knew a guy." Kaidan chuckled under his breath as they headed to catch a shuttle to the factory district, "He said he was an ass."

"He'll be a dead ass of he doesn't tell us what we need to know," Garrus growled from behind. Garrus caught his eyes, and looked away awkwardly, the entire crew had been doing that for a few weeks now. Ever since he'd moved back into the crew quarters two weeks ago. It was grating on his nerves, but he'd decided that the only way to bring her back to him was to make her miss him. Unfortunately, he missed her also, almost more than he could say.

He firmed his jaw, and stared over her shoulder as she turned to face him, not trusting his ability to hold her gaze. "We'll find Fade and take him out if necessary. Let's go," she said firmly as they boarded the shuttle. She tried to ignore the way Kaidan's thigh brushed against hers, feeling the heat of his skin through the layers of their gear, knowing it was a trick of her mind. She missed him. More than she ever thought she would. When even Miranda made a comment about the state of her mental health, and that sexual release was a good way to relieve stress, she knew she had it bad.

She bit her bottom lip as he pushed past her, jarring her shoulder, nearly knocking her off balance at the unexpected contact.

It was more of the same through out the mission, a concentrated effort to keep the other on their toes, resulting in a frustrated turian, and two pissed off human biotics. When they finally cornered Fade, also know as Harkin, a former C-Sec officer, it had taken a restraining hand from Kaidan to prevent Garrus from outright killing the human.

He grit his teeth when Garrus told them the plan to take Sidonis out, and he and Shepard shared a significant look between them, despite their current differences. He followed the turian at a jerk of her head, intent on talking Garrus down.

He laid a palm over the barrel of the sniper rifle, aware of the conversation happening down below him between Shepard and Sidonis. "You don't want to go down this road, Garrus," Kaidan assured him in his gravelly tones.

His mandibles flared, "What do you know about it?" he replied angrily, pushing at Kaidan's hand so he could see through his scope.

Kaidan grinned, "More than you think. Believe me, it won't make you feel better."

Garrus grunted at him, still trying to sight in on the other turian.

"You know Shepard took me back to Earth to make peace with my dad. But you don't know why we fought in the first place. I lost control, like you are very much in danger of doing, and I killed my instructor. I was seventeen, and I felt guilty. My dad made the mistake of trying to lecture me, and we argued. I didn't see him again for 18 years." He shifted, blocking the shot bodily, "Now, maybe you wont regret taking that shot today, or tomorrow, or even next year; but you will regret it eventually. Let it go, Garrus."

"Dammit, Alenko," Garrus frowned, and looked down to see Shepard also blocking his shot, and knew his teammates were trying to save him from himself. "Shepard, tell him… Tell him to get the hell out of here."

He turned to face Kaidan, "I hope you're right, Alenko."

"C'mon, I'll buy you a drink at the bar," he said, clapping a hand on Garrus' shoulder, determinedly avoiding Shepard's eyes.

In the bar, the whole crew had assembled, and Shepard could barely keep her eyes of Kaidan as he talked to Chambers and Jacob across the room. She looked up as Joker flopped down into a chair next to her.

"So, things are a little cramped in the crew quarters again," Joker observed.

"Really? I hadn't noticed," she replied, her cheeks flushing red.

Joker snorted, "Please, Commander, I'm not an idiot. The entire crew noticed when Alenko went missing from the bunkroom, and after a couple weeks he just shows back up? Did you have a falling out? Not that I care or anything." Of course Joker cared, he was dying to find out the truth.

"I don't know what you're talking about," she hedged, her cheeks still furiously pink.

"Shepard, everyone knows you and Alenko were doing the horizontal tango," Joker said smugly.

Shepard stared at him in disbelief, thinking of the best way to wipe that smirk off his face. She smiled mischievously, "It wasn't always horizontal, Joker," she said silkily, biting back a laugh as he sputtered into his drink.

She stood and headed towards the bar, debating whether or not talking to Kaidan was a good idea. She missed him, all of him. Deciding to swallow her pride, she approached him.

Chambers and Jacob fled as Shepard turned her gaze his way. Mentally, he girded his loins for the inevitable confrontation, they were both pretty well lubricated with alcohol. "Kaidan? Can we talk?"

He grit his teeth, "I thought there was nothing to talk about?" he replied, getting miserable satisfaction from throwing her words back in her face.

She blinked at him, uncertain of how to proceed. "Can't we go back to the way thing were?" she nearly whined, her tone desperate.

He saw red for a moment, furious with her. Her hauled her up against him, his grip unrelenting, and dragged her through the nearest doorway, the men's restroom. "_La façon dont les choses étaient? Tu veux just une liason d'une nuit, sans amour_?" he snarled at her slamming one of the stall door open and dragging her in after him.

"You want me to fuck you and leave you, is that it?" his fingers tugged at the belt of her pants, shoving them roughly down her hips, spinning her around so her back was to him. "I can do that, _chère_, but this is the last fucking time," he growled, freeing himself from the confines of his pants, and roughly pushed against her tight entrance. "It's up to you, Shepard. _Dit moi ce que tu veux_," he rasped against her ear, his words almost a plea.

"I-, I-, I don't know!" she stuttered, whimpering as his smooth tip slid between her slick folds, and she panted, trying to focus on the situation she found herself in. "You ask for too much," she gasped out, and her breath left her lungs with a loud whoosh as he turned her around again and slammed her into the flimsy wall of the stall.

"You don't get to make that decision," he snarled. "I want all, Shepard, because I'm a selfish bastard, or nothing. If your answer is nothing, I'm leaving. I'll leave the Normandy, and you'll never see me again," his hand was fisted in her shirt, and his aura was flaring brightly around him, spiking dangerously. "Jesus, Shepard, I thought you had a pair. Instead, I see you running like a scare little girl," he growled at her, taunting her as he eyes blazed brightly, her own corona of blue flaring to life around her.

"You bastard."

"Yeah, I'm a real bastard for asking the woman that I fucking love to spend the rest of her life with me. The horror." It took some effort, but he released his grip on her shirt, and crossed his arms over his chest. "You know Shepard, I suppose I should thank you. I was rejected once before by a girl at brain camp, and it stung, and I carried around all this guilt for a while because I thought I did something wrong. I was heartbroken. And then in Vancouver, you reject me without even giving me a fucking reason! What the hell, Shepard!" he scowled at her.

"Why are you telling me this? I'm not your shrink," as soon as the words were out of her mouth, she instantly wished she could recall them.

"I don't need a fucking shrink!" he roared, and slammed a fist into the stall next to her head, dimly hearing the protest from the couple in the next stall. "I'm 35 years old, Shepard, you don't live the life I've had without coming to terms with yourself!" He growled at her, making a futile attempt to restore his iron control. "Maybe you're the one that needs a shrink, _chère_," with that parting shot, he slammed out of the stall, leaving her once again with her pants around her ankles.

She hurriedly snatched her pants up, and hurried after him, pulling him around to face her just outside the bathroom door. "We're not finished, yet," she said hoarsely.

"Yes, we are. Give me one good reason to stay," his tone was dangerously low, his biotics swirling and crackling around him.

She took several deep breaths to quell her rising panic. He wasn't bluffing; he really was about to walk out the door and leave. "I don't want you to mourn me if I die again. This is a suicide mission, and… I-"

His laugh cut her off, a terrible, humorless sound, "Not good enough. I already love you, damn it! I'm going to mourn the loss of you whether you die or you can't get passed your damnable pride and admit you need me!" he shouted at her, watching the color drain out of her face before he turned on his heel and stalked out of the bar.

Shepard stood there, her chest heaving as the other patrons of the bar stared at her. She exhaled loudly through her nose, and made her way back to the bar, ordering a shot of ryncol to drown her sorrows in.

She hunched her shoulders as Thane sat next to her, his quiet presence soothing to her ravaged nerves. "You know, Shepard, sometimes a man will say things he doesn't strictly mean when his heart is breaking," Thane said quietly.

She swallowed, "I'm pretty sure he meant every word."

Thane smiled, "No doubt, however, those were the words of a man that is hurting and confused. Not many men appreciate having their emotions used as a plaything."

"I didn't use him!" she snapped defensively.

"Did you not?" he murmured, "You played with fire, Shepard, and you didn't expect to get burned? You love him, do you not?" he took the jerk of her head as an affirmation. "I assume he wants more than you are willing to give of yourself."

He waited patiently for many minutes before she replied, "He wants to marry me."

"I fail to see why that is as terrible as you make it out to be," he patiently waited as she hunched further over her drink. "Are you fundamentally against the institution of marriage?"

She sighed, "Not at all, my parents had a wonderful relationship up until the day my dad died."

"Then you do not wish to be joined to the mercenary," Thane nodded sagely.

"It's not that! I…I don't want to marry him and then leave him alone after this mission if the worst happens."

"That is incredibly selfish and foolish," Thane told her sternly, "You don't have to be wed before we go through the Omega-4 relay, you know."

She blinked at him in surprise, her words stuck in her throat.

"What would you regret most, if you were to die again, and had no chance of coming back?" he asked softly, watching as the clouds of confusion cleared from her eyes.

She swallowed, "Losing him."

"Then why are you still sitting here?"

Shepard stumbled off her barstool, and hit the door at a sprint, praying it wasn't too late, that she hadn't missed him. She hauled ass back to the ship, and crashing headlong into civilians that got in her way, jumping surprisingly nimbly over them in her half drunken state.

Her feet pounded against the floor, and her heart pounded in her chest as she nipped into the airlock and doubled over in an attempt to catch her breath. She greedily dragged in air and found Kaidan staring at her when she straightened, his expression miserable, jaw clenched. He held her gaze, waiting to see if she would speak.

"I'm sorry. I was an idiot," she said quietly. "I want you to know that I was scared, and I lashed out. I love you, you big idiot. I want to grow old with you, and argue with you for the rest of our natural or unnatural lives."

He stared at her for several long minutes, the silence deafening as she waited to hear what he would say. His arms wrapped around her torso and pulled her close, his lips fusing with hers. "_J'étais inquiet_," he murmured against her lips, "_tu es pas mal entêté_," his hands found her belt for the second time that night, his fingers gentle this time as he tugged her shirt from her pants.

"_Laisse moi t'aimer,_" he whispered against her throat, and felt her shiver of anticipation as he dragged her shirt over her head. His hands instantly came up to cup her breasts, kneading the firm mounds as her back her up into the cockpit, away from the door.

"What are you-?" she gasped as his hands slid her pants down her hips, and sly smile playing across his lip.

"_Déshabille moi, ma_ _chère_," he mumbled, and she quickly complied, pulling his shirt over his head to join hers. His abs rippled as her slim fingers brushed against the tones flesh, and his inhaled sharply as she dragged the zipper of his pants down, and pushed his pants from his hips. She bit her bottom lip as his full erection bounced freely, and with a wicked grin, she pushed him back into the pilot's seat, settling herself in his lap as soon as his bare ass hit the smooth leather.

"I love you," she murmured as she slowly sank down of his waiting shaft, groaning deeply as he filled her, her tight walls pressing down around him. With her knees on either side of his hips, she rode him, sliding slowly up and down his thick arousal, her sensitive breasts brushing against his chest with each smooth stroke. His hips jerked up to meet each downward stroke, and a moan rumbled from deep in his chest as her tight muscled squeezed relentlessly around him.

He slipped a hand between them, and rubbed his thumb against her sensitive nub, making her thighs quiver against him. She panted as an orgasm tore through her, her back bowing deeply at the sensation. His hands gripped her hips firmly as he pumped his hips into her, his own release fast approaching, ripping through him with a strangled shout, one Shepard swallowed as she crushed her lips against his.

She slumped against him, panting, as their heart pounded against their ribs in tune with each other. "Can we make this work?" she murmured.

"I'm going to fight like hell to keep you," he asserted.

"I think we broke the seat," she giggled as the chair refused to swivel anymore.

Kaidan just laughed.


	14. Chapter 14

Disclaimer: Mass Effect doesn't belong to me, nor do I intend to profit from this work of fiction.

_A/N: I included the translations into french at the bottom of the page at per the request of a tumblr follower. To make things easier for you I suppose :)_

* * *

Haestrom was hot, and Shepard was cranky, Kaidan mused, as she darted from shady spot to shady spot, trying to stay out of the burning sun. Her creamy skin was already turning pink, and they'd only touched down 30 minutes ago. Her hot gaze landed on him, and the corner of her lips turned up in a smile. "_Chère_, try to stay out of the sun, you're burning already," he murmured, cupping her cheek and brushing a thumb over the irritated flesh.

"I'm fine," she groused, and pushed his hand away. "I think my enviro controls are malfunctioning. I'm hot as hell."

He chuckled, and scanned her suit with his omni-tool, "Stop bragging," he murmured into her private comm. "Your suit is functioning properly, _ma chérie_. It's just hot on this planet."

She frowned at him and stepped closer to him, "Are you sure?"

His other hand came up around her waist, holding her close as she studied his 'tool. "_Chère_, you don't even know what you are looking at," he teased gently, reminding her of her lack of technical skills.

She grunted and pulled her shotgun from the clip at the small of her back. "Let's get to work so we can get back to the ship."

Kaidan and Garrus followed behind her, and Kaidan was almost giddy when he was able to steal a few minutes to study a dead geth while Shepard set some demolition charges so they could advance. His fingers itched to take some geth tech back to the ship with him, but the heated looks Shepard kept giving him, along with her general surliness had him leaving things where he found them in an effort to hurry things along.

Kaidan listened with half an ear as Shepard talked to the sole living quarian they'd found, but focused on providing covering fire for the squad. He heard Garrus groan next him as a geth Colossus finished repairing itself and stood, and he grinned as Shepard tapped him on the shoulder.

"Kaidan, you're with me. Garrus, stay here to provide covering fire and to keep Reegar from doing something stupid," Shepard barked, and pumped her shotgun to put down an approaching shock trooper. She rolled into cover, and waited until Kaidan appeared at her side before moving up again. They continued on, leapfrogging each other until they were entrenched in the sniper nest on the right side of the field. Shepard was panting, her shields had malfunctioned, and the effort to hold a barrier in place was costing her.

She heard Garrus over the comm. "Scoped and dropped!" as a geth trooper's flashlight head exploded behind them. All the remained was the Colossus.

She poked her head over wall, and grunted when Kaidan shoved her back into cover as a missile whistled by their heads. "_ Laisse moi prendre soins de cette affaire_, _chère_," he murmured, his omni-tool flaring to life as his fingers flew, looking for a chink in its shields.

She heard its shields short out, felt the static stand her hair on end. "Now, Shepard!" he shouted, even as she pulled out her Cain, firing at the geth armature. It collapsed in a heap, and they grinned at each other as Garrus jogged over.

They found Tali locked in the observatory, and she quickly agreed to join Shepard's crew after learning the Reegar was alive and mostly well.

The quarian made a noise of appreciation as they exited the small space, "Shepard, I know you didn't take that put that thing down on your own, and Garrus didn't take the shields down," Tali observed, tilting her head to get a better look at the handsome human standing inappropriately close to the Commander. "I don't believe we've met," Tali said, extending a hand to Kaidan.

"A pleasure," Kaidan purred, his eyes never leaving Shepard's armor covered ass. He mentally shook himself when Shepard stomped on his instep at his seductive tone. "It's nice to meet someone else that appreciates technology for what it is."

Tali nodded excitedly, "How did you manage to short out the shields so easily?"

"I wouldn't say it was that easy, but..." Shepard tuned them out, trying not to shoot dirty looks at Tali as she engaged Kaidan in conversation, trying not to feel inadequate as his face brightened as he talked shop with the young quarian as they took the shuttle back to the Normandy.

She scowled however, when she heard the flirty tone in Tali's voice as she hung around while they stowed their gear. She looked at Garrus, who seemed amused at Tali's misguided flirtations.

Kaidan smiled at the young girl, ready to let her down gently when Shepard pounced on him, her hand buried firmly in the back pocket of his jeans and her lips fused to his in a searing kiss. He heard the noise of embarrassment Tali made as she moved away from them. He heard the low rumble of Garrus' voice as he no doubt explained the lay of the land.

His hands went to her ass as she jumped up and wrapped her legs around his waist. He staggered towards the elevator, chuckling at her impatience. "_Ne t'inquiète pas, chère, tu es la seule femme pour moi_," he murmured in reassurance before the doors slid shut.

Tali sighed as Garrus shook his head, "He speaks a different language to her? Who is he? Where is he from?" she asked pumping the turian for information.

* * *

Kaidan groaned as his lips closed over her salty skin, and her spicy scent assaulted his nose. She chuckled and her hands tore at his shirt in her hurry to claim him. He staggered out of the elevator and into her cabin setting her down on her much abused desk. "This desk is going to have a permanent ass print on it as often as we fuck here," she muttered softly as he swiftly undressed her.

"_Je suis pas entraint de te baiser_," he murmured against her pebbled nipple as his tongue swirled around her sensitive skin. "_Mais je veux te goûter avant_," his breath was hot against her skin as he nudged her to lean back on her elbows. His lips skimmed down her belly and with a sigh, her thighs parted to allow him access to her luscious heat.

Her breath hissed between her lips as his tongue stroked her soft folds, and her thighs quivered against his cheek. His hands wrapped firmly around her muscular legs, and pulled her so her ass was sitting on the bare edge of the desk, and with a moan, she pressed her feet into his back. Her head fell back against the glass of her model ship display as his teeth gently nipped at her sensitive flesh, and his tongue swirled against her hot center, making her pant in anticipation.

With a mighty groan, she shoved off the desk and pushed him to the floor, "Take your time later, I want you now," she breathed as she impatiently tugged at his pants. His hands went to her hips as she took him into her molten depths with a soft cry. She rode him, her pace quick and unrelenting. Her hands wrapped around his arms, gripping him with enough force to leave bruises. Her breath quickened as her orgasm built within her, ripping through her with a strangled shout.

He rolled her so she was beneath him, and he pumped into her tight center, feeling her slick walls convulsing around him. He groaned as another orgasm slammed through her, her hot muscles pulsing around him. "_Ch__è__re,"_ he groaned as he found his own release, and with a shout, he emptied himself into her.

They lay slumped together, panting and sweaty in the aftermath of their loving, and she smiled tiredly at him as he grunted and hauled her up in his arms to stagger to the bed. Without warning, he dumped her on the soft surface and fell facedown to lay across her, his arm curved around her waist. She ruffled her fingers through his hair with a soft smile, "You ever wonder what would have happened if you hadn't left home when you did?" she asked softly.

He sucked in a deep breath, "_Je ne sais pas_. I suppose I would have joined the Alliance eventually. It used to be a kind of dream of mine when I was a kid." He smiled and nuzzled his face into her breast.

"You're pulling my leg," she giggled, "Did you really want to join the Alliance?"

He chuckled and pressed a kiss to the side of her breast, "_Oui_, before Brain Camp, I thought that's what I would do with my life." He shrugged and grinned up at her, "_J'aurais été un officier incroyable._"

She shivered and her back arched as his hand drifted down her torso, "Oh really, and how far do you think you would have made it before you got drummed out of the service."

"_Chère_, you wound me. I would have been a career soldier. _Je te surclasserais pour sûr_," he smiled as she rolled them so she was straddling his waist. She snorted as she pressed a line of kisses from his ear along his chiseled jaw. "I would probably be a major by now," he said silkily, his hands drifting over her smooth skin, cupping her soft breasts, "_Même si c'est juste pour te commander_."

"Major Alenko, huh?" she chuckled, "I like it. It has a ring to it," a sultry smile spread over her lips as she felt him stiffen beneath her. "I'm not finished with you yet, Major," her husky voice flittered over him like a caress.

He laughed softly, and pushed her to the bed beside him. "_Bien, je n'ai pas fini avec toi non plus_," he grunted as he pulled her to her knees before him.

She sighed as she felt his smooth tip pressing against her slick entrance from behind, and her breath caught in her throat as he sent a punishing tempo, slamming into her with each thrust of his hips. His hands gripped her waist, and the other snuck around to flick her sensitive nub with his thumb. The unexpected contact was enough to send her spiraling over the edge, screaming his name.

His breathing was haggard as he pumped into her, pushing her forward with each inward thrust until she fell forward on the pillows. His lips sought the sensitive spot on the back of her neck, and his teeth clamped down hard as another muffled scream tore from her lips. He heard her mewling cries as another orgasm tore through her, and with a shout he slumped against her as his own climax pumped through him.

He rolled to his side and grinned as she snuggled into his side with a sleepy snuffle. "You know I'm just marrying you for the sex, right?" her drowsy voice drifted to his ears.

"_Tu peux utiliser mon corps autant que tu veux, je suis complètement correcte avec ça_," he replied easily, and his arm tightened around her.

She shoved lightly at his chest. "As long as we know where we stand, Major," she laughed.

He grimaced at her new nickname for him, "_Combien de temps cela va me hanter_?" he asked, torn between amusement and embarrassment.

"How long are you going to call me _chère_?" she quipped, her blue eyes twinkling up at him, a sassy smile on her pink lips.

"_Toujours_," he grinned at her.

She chuckled, "Well, there you go then." A thoughtful smile crossed her lips, "I bet you don't even know my first name, do you?"

"_Mais oui, je le connais_, _Marguerite_," he replied using the French version of her name, and grinned at the confused look on her face. "But the few people close to you probably call you Maggie, right?"

Her brow crinkled, "How did you…?"

He grinned, "_J'ai réussi a entré dans ton dossier_." She stared daggers at him as he continued on, "Commander Margaret Shepard, Hero of Elysium, Savior of the Citadel, and a dead woman. _Oui_, I hacked your file as soon as Cerberus contacted me."

She scowled, "You know, I really think I should care more that you did that, but I don't really."

"_C'est à cause qu tu m'aime_."

She chuckled, "Yeah, I suppose I do."

* * *

_Laisse moi prendre soins de cette affaire _– Let me handle that thing

_Ne t'inquiète pas, chère, tu es la seule femme pour moi_ – Don't worry, darling, you're the only woman for me.

_Je suis pas entraint de te baiser_ – We're not fucking here

_Mais je veux te goûter avant _– But I want to taste you first

_Je ne sais pas_ – I don't know

_J'aurais été un officier incroyable_ – I would have been a fantastic officer

_Je te surclasserais pour sûr_ – I'd certainly outrank you

_Même si c'est juste pour te commander_ – If only so I could order you around

_Bien, je n'ai pas fini avec toi non plus_ – Good, I'm not finished with you either

_Tu peux utiliser mon corps autant que tu veux, je suis complètement correcte avec ça - _I'm perfectly fine with you using my body as often as you like

_Combien de temps cela va me hanter_ – How long is that going to haunt me?

_Toujours_ – Always

_Mais oui, je le connais_ – Of course I do

_J'ai réussi a entré dans ton dossier_ – I hacked your file

_C'est à cause qu tu m'aime_ – It's because you love me.


	15. Chapter 15

Disclaimer: Mass Effect doesn't belong to me, nor do I intend to profit from this work of fiction.

_A/N: once again, thanks to eternalshiva for translating, and I've added the translations at the bottom again. Enjoy!_

* * *

The smell of perfume clung to Kaidan's nostrils, and he stifled a groan as the scent triggered the start of a migraine. It took all his considerable discipline not to scowl at his dancing partner, and he glanced around the VIP lounge of Afterlife, trying to spot Shepard somewhere near by. So far, he'd danced with a few asari, rescued a stripper from an over-zealous turian, and started a bar fight.

Across the bar, sitting glumly as Kaidan danced sensuously with petite brunette and ruthlessly quashed her jealousy. They were working. There were a few asari in the VIP lounge, mostly strippers, and none matching the description of Morinth. She frowned into the glass of whiskey she'd be nursing for most of the evening; they had changed the original plan to include Kaidan, as Samara believed Morinth would be more interested in the mercenary than the soldier.

She held her breath as an asari in a sleek black skinsuit approached him, leading him to a table in the darkest corner of the bar.

Kaidan hid a grimace behind his hand as Morinth studied him, her desire obvious in her icy blue eyes. He only just resisted the urge to rub his pounding temples as her fingers drifted lazily along his arm. He listened with half an ear as she spoke to him, and made the appropriate noises to keep her interested. He leaned into the table, palming the knife he had strapped to his thigh as he'd suited up. There was no way he was going back to this succubus' apartment, no way in hell.

He saw the look of surprise as he slid the sharp knife between her unarmored ribs, and she flared weakly. He knew the precise moment she died as he watched the life drain from her cold blue eyes, and silently said thanks to Thane, who'd given him advice on how best to quickly dispatch this particular threat. Morinth's body slumped down in the booth next to him, and he grimaced at the small trickle of blood slowing pooling between them. Thane's advice had also included how to produce the least amount of blood for a clean getaway.

He glanced up and his vision swam as Shepard moved swiftly across the room towards him, _"T__abarnak, la conne m'a drogué__,"_ he slurred to himself.

Shepard slipped into the booth on the other side of Morinth, propping her body between them so she looked like just another drunken patron. "What the hell did you just do?" she hissed, "Are you high?" she asked incredulously as she took in his fully dilated pupils.

"_Marguerite_, _t'es si belle, je pourrais te manger_," he slurred as she pulled him to his feet; leaving Morinth's body slumped in the dark booth. Her breath hitched in her throat as his strong hand came up to cup her breast, his thumb brushing over fabric covered nipple. He swallowed her slight moan of protest as his lips captured hers, and his arm wrapped around her slender wrist, pulling her flush against him, his bulging erection pressing against her hip as he plundered her sweet mouth.

The throbbing in his head lessened as the drug swam in his system, and his wet lips skimmed over her cheek to suckle the sensitive lobe of her ear, "_Laisse moi t'aimer," _his breath hit her ear in hot puffs.

She half snorted, half moaned as she melted against his hard chest, "No, no, we have to get back to the ship," she breathed, pulling slightly away from him, frowning as his eye were becoming bloodshot. "Morinth drugged you," she stated flatly, concern creeping into the edges of her tone.

"_Oui, cette chienne l'a certainement fait,"_ he slurred, his lips traveling down the column of her throat, "_Et maintenant, je peux seulement penser à toi. Chaude et humide, tu glisse sur ma_…"

She cut him off with a quick kiss. "Come on, we need to tell Samara where she can find Morinth." She located Samara just outside, and one look at Kaidan told the Justicar he'd done the right thing at the right time, still, a shadow haunted her eyes. At Samara's urging, she guided Kaidan towards the shuttle back to the ship.

She sat beside him, and gasped as she suddenly found herself dragged across his lap. She glanced at the open cockpit door, and grimaced as he tugged her shirt from her pants, his hands sliding under to cup her breasts. She stifled a moan as he flicked her pebbled nipple through her bra, "_Ah, ah, chère, tu vas vouloir être le plus tranquille que tu le pourras,"_ he whispered against her skin.

He smirked at her as she squirmed in his lap, rubbing her hot center against his blatant arousal. "_Cinquante crédits qui dit que tu ne pourras pas t'empêcher d'attirer l'attention du pilote_," he murmured softly as he pulled her shirt over her head, and his tongue traced the outline of the satin cupping her breasts, leaving a hot trail of moisture behind on her skin.

She shifted as he pulled at the clasp of her pants, helping him to push them down her hips, and glanced around at to make sure the pilot wasn't onto them yet. Satisfied, she flipped open the fly of his jeans, pressing the flaps open as she drew his stiff member out into the open. His breath hissed between his teeth as her smooth palm wrapped around him, torturing him with each silky glide of her hand.

She felt his sultry gaze on her as she pursed her lips, pressing a finger to them in a shushing gesture, and pressed her lips to his throat, releasing her firm grip on his throbbing member. They both panted silently as his smooth tip butted against her hot, slick center. She stared deeply into his amber eyes as she slid down his thick shaft, taking him in deeply within her, her slick walls tightening almost painfully around him.

Her breath caught in her throat as his hands wrapped around her hips, guiding her movements as she rode him, stroking up and down his length. Their lips fused together as swallowing each other's soundless moans as their orgasm grew within them in great waves. She grunted as some unexpected turbulence jarred the small space, sending him thrusting deeply within her.

"Hang on back there, it's going to be a little rough back there," the Cerberus pilot announced, unaware of the irony, focused on flying the shuttle through the debris field around Omega. They groaned in the back as they got tossed around the small space, and she let out a low moan as they were tossed to the floor, Kaidan landing atop her, pumping his hips into her with abandon. She hitched her legs up to wrap about his waist, tilting her pelvis as an orgasm ripped through her, her lips pressed firmly to his as he swallowed her soft moan.

He shuddered as her walls shuddered and pulsed around him, dragging him over the edge with her. His breath hissed between his teeth as he slumped drunkenly against her, his lips caressing the pulse point of her neck.

She shivered, and shoved at him as the shuttle leveled out, signaling they were close to docking with the Normandy. He rolled off her, holding her shirt hostage as she pulled her pants back on. "_C'est un joli look sur toi_," he rumbled deep in his chest, watching her as she looked around for her shirt, clad in her cargo pants and her bra.

She narrowed her eyes at him, and glared suspiciously at him as he pushed off the floor to sit in his sit again. "Give me my shirt back," she hissed urgently.

"_Je ne l'ai pas_," he lied smoothly, slurring slightly as he shifted in his seat, _"__Et d'ailleurs, j'aime ça quand tu n'as pas de chandail__,"_ he muttered as she straddled his lap.

She licked her lips, "Please give it back."

He leaned into her, his lips a hair's breadth away from hers, "_Non_." He smirked at her as the shuttle docked and the door swung open, grinning mischievously as she stood. His vision wavered and doubled in front of him as he stood, clutching her shirt tightly in his right hand. "_Chère_, _je ne me sens pas bien_," he muttered before his knees buckled and he pitched forward into her arms, slumping in unconsciousness.

She swore softly under her breath as Jacob raised an eyebrow at her shirtless state of dress. "Shepard, we've gotta quit meeting like this," he muttered, a laugh bubbling in his throat.

She growled at him, "Shut up, and help me with him. He was drugged with an unknown substance on Omega." She dragged Kaidan's arm across her shoulders, and Jacob did the same on his other side, together propping the bigger man up between them. She wrapped a strong arm around Kaidan's waist, and with Jacob's assistance, she got him up to the medbay.

Chakwas just raised an eyebrow at Shepard, and gestured towards the drawer she kept spare shirts in for her patients, and turned to looking after the groggy biotic who was beginning to come to. She peeled his eyelids opened, and flashed a penlight in his eyes, "Well, your pupils are beginning to return to normal, Alenko, but you are going to have one hell of a migraine."

Kaidan groaned as he slowly pushed to a sitting position, his head lolling about on his shoulders, "_Baise moi__,"_ he groaned, his temples already pounding viciously.

Shepard sat gingerly on the bed next to him, "You want to stay here or come up to my cabin?" she whispered softly as Chakwas administered an injection of his meds.

He turned his head, and blinked wearily at her, "_Je veux monter_," he slurred.

Chakwas nodded, "I'll be up in a few minutes to give him some fluids. It doesn't seem fair for him to have a hangover when he was working."

Shepard shot the good doctor a grateful look as she helped Kaidan to his feet, shuffling him along towards the elevator. She grunted as she took most of his weight, leaning him against the wall of the elevator for the ride up to her cabin.

"_Marguerite, je t'aime, ma chérie,_" he murmured sleepily as she poured him into their bed. She just smiled as she pressed a kiss to his brow. He was asleep before his head hit the pillow.

* * *

_T__abarnak, la conne m'a drogue__ – _Fuck me, the bitch drugged me

_T'es si belle, je pourrais te manger – _You look good enough to eat

_Laisse moi t'aimer –_Let me love you

_Oui, cette chienne l'a certainement fait – _That bitch sure did

_Et maintenant, je peux seulement penser à toi. Chaude et humide, tu glisse sur ma – _And now all I can think about is you. Hot and wet, sliding down my

_Tu vas vouloir être le plus tranquille que tu le pourras – _you'll want to be as quiet as possible

_Cinquante crédits qui dit que tu ne pourras pas t'empêcher d'attirer l'attention du pilote – _Fifty credits says you can't help but attract our esteemed pilot's attention

_C'est un joli look sur toi – _That's a nice look on you

_Je ne l'ai pas – _I don't have it

_Et d'ailleurs, j'aime ça quand tu n'as pas de chandail – _Besides, I like you topless

_Je ne me sens pas bien – _I don't feel so great

_Baise moi – _Fuck me

_Je veux monter – _Wanna go up


	16. Chapter 16

Disclaimer: Mass Effect doesn't belong to me, nor do I intend to profit from this work of fiction.

_A/N: I apologize for the long wait, life got in the way, but I'm back. Hopefully the next update won't take quite as long. Once again, thanks to eternalshiva for translating, and I've added the translations at the bottom again. Enjoy!_

* * *

Kaidan groaned as he woke up the next morning, feeling very much like he'd been on a red sand bender. His pulse was throbbing painfully in his temples, and his eyes felt like he had ten pounds of sand in them. He blinked slowly as Shepard's worried face came into few, and a shy smile crossed her lips. "_Bonjour_," he rasped, screwing up his face as he found it difficult to speak when his mouth was as dry as sawdust.

"How are you feeling?" she asked, and helped him sit up, offering him a bottle of water.

She waited patiently as he gulped greedily, and gagged as it hit his stomach. "_Comme l'enfer_," he groaned, but resisted the urge to flop back on the pillow and curl up and die.

"Migraine?" she mused, her lips pursed in concern, "Chakwas gave you some meds, but without knowing exactly what Morinth drugged you with, she kept it pretty mild.

"Red sand," he mumbled, scrubbing a hand over his face, trying to scrub the grit out of his eyes.

Her eyebrows flew up in surprise, "You're sure about that? How do you know?"

"_J'ai expérimenté_," he ground out, and shakily got to his feet, "_Les après éffets ne valait pas la peine_."

"Hey, where are you going?" she asked as he staggered towards the bathroom.

"_La douche, je veux me sentir comme un humain_," he replied shortly, stripping as he walked through the bathroom door. He hissed as the hot spray first hit him, and groaned softly as the water washed over him

When he emerged from the steamy bathroom a little later, he felt much better, almost back to normal. He wrapped the towel around his hips and padded down the stairs in his bare feet. He stopped short when he found Shepard sitting crossed legged on the sofa, working on a datapad. "_Shepard, est-ce que c'est un suçon que tu as dans ta bouche_?" he queried, cocking his head to the side in fascination as her tongue swirled around the sugary confection.

Her eyes twinkled at him as her lips closed over the candy, and she hummed happily in the back of her throat, slowly nodding her head.

"_Où as-tu réussi a trouver ca_?" he wondered, slowly advancing on her as her pink tongue licked the cherry flavored candy. She watched him from beneath her dark lashes, a coy expression on her face as he sat on the coffee table in front of her. "_Tu veux pas partager_?" he murmured, his palms resting on her knees as he leaned into her.

She pulled the candy from her lips, tracing it over his mouth, snatching it away when his lips twitched to close over it. "No," she murmured, "Mine."

He shifted, his hands moving to either side of her hips, pressing her back into the cushions. With a soft moan, he crushed his lips to hers, tasting the sugar on her lips. He smiled against her, his tongue sweeping into the hot cavity of her mouth, probing her sweet depths thoroughly. She moaned as his hands slid over her thighs, his thumbs stroking her heated center. His lips curved against hers as her hands came up to circle his neck, tugging him closer as his fingers stroked her molten center through her pants. Her thighs fell open, granting him further access, moaning softly as his thumb circled her sensitive nub through the fabric. He flipped her pants open and slid his hands in, teasing her slick entrance. He pushed a finger into her wet core, felt her walls pressing in around his thrusting finger. Another finger soon joined the first, and her arms tightened around his neck as she panted against his lips, her hips undulating of their own free will.

She shimmied her hips, pushing her pants down her long legs, her nimble fingers at his belt, struggling with his pants, moaning softly as he fondled her sensitive flesh. "Kaidan, I need you," she murmured against his lips with a soft moan.

"_De quelle façon_?" he asked, his breath hot against her lips. She groaned and arched her back against the soft cushions as his finger toyed with her.

"I need you inside me," she mumbled, her lips turning up in a smile as he shifted his weight. She licked her lips, and tugged his towel from his hips, sucking in a deep breath as his thick erection bounced free. She swallowed hard as he covered her body with his, shifting her until she lay horizontally beneath him, his full erection slipping against her slick entrance.

"_Mon plaisir_, _chère_," he murmured, and pushed into her, groaning as she tightened like a vice around his thick shaft. She arched her back, mewling with each thrust of his hips, pulling him deeper into her heated core. Her hips matched every pump of his, her orgasm quickly building within her, spilling over with a gusty sigh, her fingers clutching his shoulders. She felt the scruff of his stubble scraping against the sensitive skin of her throat and shivered at the sensation. "_Tu m'appartiens_," he murmured against her ear, his teeth sinking into the sensitive skin of her throat, and she shivered in agreement.

He grunted, and with one last great thrust of his hips, his own climax burst through him. He slumped against her, and nuzzled his face into the crook of her shoulder, his lips brushing against her skin. "_C'est incroyable_," he murmured softly.

"What is?" she asked as her breathing slowly returned to normal.

"_J'ai encore la gueule de bois comme l'enfer mais, ça m'a pas empêché de te vouloir_," he pulled away slightly, and grinned at her. "_Si jamais il y a un jour ou je ne te veux plus, promet moi de me tirer dessus avec ton fusil_."

She chuckled and just nodded. "You feel up to tagging along to Omega with Garrus and me?"

He grinned, "_Oui_, _je cois que je peux endurer ça_."

"You might want to shave," she muttered, rubbing her hand over the stubble covering his cheeks, "Getting a little scruffy."

He chuckled, "_T'aimes ça, n'est-ce pas? Donc, je pense pas que je le ferais_."

"As your commanding officer, I order you to shave," she laughed.

"You don't get to pull commanding officer over me," he smirked, "Not when your neck is still red from my loving you." He peppered her face with kisses before nuzzling his scruffy cheek against hers. She laughed in amusement before she put her arms around his neck, pulling him closer still.

"_Ah, ma chère_," he purred, "_Encore_?"

"_Oui_," she breathed in response.

* * *

Kaidan grinned at the thoughtful scowl on Shepard's face as she neatly stepped out of the way as Zaeed Massani put a bullet in the thigh of the fleeing batarian. "Nice shot, Massani," Kaidan grinned, heartily slapping the other merc on his shoulder.

"You know each other?" Garrus asked incredulously.

Zaeed eyed the younger merc carefully, "Yeah, we've knocked heads together a time or two. How's it, Alenko?" Zaeed took Kaidan's proffered hand with a firm shake. "Didn't think I'd see you on a mission like this."

Kaidan grinned, "_Il y avait beaucoup de motivation_."

Shepard narrowed her eyes; she didn't care for the reminder that he was here because she'd hired him.

Zaeed looked between the human couple, Kaidan's fingers brushing against plate of her armor, their hips just inches apart. Far too close together for proprieties sake. "Does that same incentive hold true for the rest of us, sweetheart?" he asked the commander. He'd always been good at reading people.

He wasn't surprised when Alenko's lips curled back in a snarl, showing his teeth, and Shepard scowled at him. He chuckled, and watched in fascination as Shepard rounded on the younger man, chastising him, "You always do that! Can't you at least try to maintain a professional distance?" she hissed. "I'm pretty tired of everyone attempting to guess every detail of our relationship within five minutes of meeting!"

"You like it," Kaidan drawled, his breath hot on her ear. "Otherwise you'd leave me on the ship."

Shepard growled at him, and felt heat rising in her cheeks. "Just..." she sighed and made a frustrated satire with her hand, "Meet us back on the ship, Massani. Deal with that, it's bleeding." She pointed to the batarian attempting to crawl away from the exchange.

Garrus waited to speak up until the trio was entering the docking tube for the Normandy. "You know Shepard, I'd be happy to put Alenko down for you if you don't have the heart. He can be annoying sometimes."

Kaidan shot a feral grin at the turian, "I'd like to see you try." He smirked and froze Garrus in place with a stasis field. "It would be hard to get a shot off when you're stuck in place, turian."

Shepard laughed, and with a flash of dark energy, released Garrus from Kaidan's hold. "I'll keep him around. For now," she smiled serenely at Kaidan, continuing on towards the ship. She felt his eyes boring into her backside, and she grinned, throwing some extra sway in each movement of her hips.

Kaidan licked his lips in anticipation of getting her back to her cabin. He was alarmed, however, when she turned to him after the decontamination cycle finished, "You wait for Massani to board, and show him to the starboard cargo bay. It's the only space we have available." She turned and sauntered off, leaving Kaidan standing in the cockpit behind Joker.

Garrus hid the flaring of his mandibles behind his hand as he struggled not to laugh. "Have fun with Joker, Alenko. I hear he's been wanting to have a word with you for a few weeks now."

Kaidan scowled at the turian's back as he strolled away. "I have a bone to pick with you," he heard over his shoulder, as he turned on his heels to face the scruffy looking pilot.

"Joker, hey," Kaidan greeted, eyeing the pilot warily. He leaned a hip against a nearby console, glancing at the airlock, willing it to open. "Is something wrong?"

Joker stared up at the taller man menacingly, "Hell, yeah, something is wrong. You should be thanking me, for pushing Shepard to talk to you after your falling out," Joker sneered.

"Ah, actually, I think it was Thane that…"Kaidan started thoughtfully.

Joker interrupted him, "I helped. I helped you out, and what thanks do I get? You break my friggin' chair."

Kaidan grinned at the angry pilot, "Seems to be working just fine right now."

"That's because Tali and some of the other engineers fixed it. But it's not the same, it sticks," Joker grumbled, and as if to demonstrate, his seat jerkily swiveled back towards his console.

Kaidan noticed EDI towards the side, who was staying conspicuously silent during the exchange. "Are you sure it's the chair that is the problem, Joker?" he asked.

Joker scowled and glared at the glowing blue orb that was EDI, "Well, now I'm not so sure." He grumbled to himself as he carefully pushed to his feet. "Keep an eye on the helm for a minute, EDI, I need to take a leak."

Kaidan stood aside as Joker limped passed him, and sank down into the comfortable leather while he waited for Zaeed. "You know, it's not nice to tease Joker like that."

"Mr. Moreau performs better under stress and during imperfect conditions. My 'teasing' is merely a tool to improve his performance and reaction times," EDI informed him.

Kaidan shook his head, "Does Shepard know you are harassing her pilot?"

"Shepard is aware, and approves. Providing I am not harassing Mr. Moreau to excess."

Kaidan opened his mouth to reply, but the door to the airlock slid open then, and Zaeed Massani stepped aboard. Kaidan stood and went to greet the older man, waiting patiently as he studied the CIC. "Some digs you've got here, Alenko."

Kaidan grinned, "It will do for now."

"Are you supposed to me my goddamn escort?" Zaeed sneered.

"The rest of the crew, they don't really trust us mercenaries, but I'm bringing them around. Who can resist my wit and charm?" Kaidan winked at Kelly Chambers as they passed on the way to the elevator. The young woman fluttered her eyebrows at the pair of men, but Kaidan ignored her, instead ushering Zaeed into the elevator.

Zaeed chuckled at him, "That little piece of ass would love to take you for a ride."

Kaidan snorted, "You think so? Not interested."

"You that far gone over Shepard, then?" Zaeed questioned. "Never thought I'd see the day."

"You have no idea," Kaidan muttered to himself.

"How long have you and Shepard been burning up the sheets. I'd like to try out a nice piece of ass like that," Zaeed drawled, watching carefully for Kaidan's reaction, trying to determine the lay of the land.

Kaidan's iron control on his temper paid off, but regardless, he still snapped at the older man, "Not on the table, find someone else."

"Let me guess," Zaeed said, circling the biotic, "You've been shoving your cock in her and now I've got your dick in a wad over, and you don't want to share. Not fair," his cockney accent was grating on Kaidan's nerves.

In general, he liked Massani, certainly didn't have a problem with him. But he knew about the older man's penchant for bugging places he couldn't be himself, such as woman's restrooms, and using the footage for his prurient purposes. Kaidan made a mental note to warn EDI of the possibility. "Shepard is off limits, Massani. She's mine, and mine alone."

"Is that so?"

Kaidan grimaced at the annoyance in her tone, a bit peeved that he hadn't noticed the buzz of her biotics tickling against his own. He wasn't to be deterred, however, and instead changed course, ambling over to stand in front of her, his hands skimming over her arm, "_Ça te dérangait pas ce matin_." His husky voice made her shiver in spite of herself.

She narrowed her eyes at him, "Kaidan," she said in warning.

He pressed his lips to hers, staking his claim in front of the other mercenary, "_Tu m'appartiens_," he stated simply.

"_Tu veux pas partager_?" she mimicked his words from before, taking them out of context, smirking when his eyes flashed dangerously.

They were interrupted by the other mercenary, "You may want to get that rash on your neck looked at, Petals. Looks like you've been rubbing yourself against some sandpaper." Zaeed drawled, smirking at the pair as they glared at him. "I'd be happy to volunteer myself to take a closer look."

"No," Kaidan said firmly, the same time Shepard asked, "Petals?"

Zaeed just laughed and walked away, leaving them standing in the hallway outside the starboard cargo bay.

"Goddammit, I told you to shave!" she shouted at him, her temper rising as Kaidan cocked his head to the side, studying the lingering redness of her skin, smirking at her.

"_Maintenant, je veux vraiment pas me raser_," he smirked. Then, remembering her question, "_Marguerite, ça veux dire fleur en français_."

She scowled, "Oh, great. Now I have one French mercenary bent on banging me every chance he gets, and a cockney bastard that's given me a nickname within an hour of meeting me that implies I'm soft." She shoved a finger into Kaidan's chest, "I'm Commander Fucking Shepard, not some softy!"

He grinned, "_Oui tu l'es. Tu es tellement douce et relaxe après_…oof!" his breath exploded out of his lungs as she elbowed him in the stomach before stalking past him. He sucked in a greedy breath before hurrying after her, intent on teaching her a lesson.

* * *

_Bonjour _ – Morning

_Comme l'enfer_ - Like hell

_J'ai expérimenté_ - I've experimented

_Les après éffets ne valait pas la peine_ - It wasn't worth the after effects

_La douche, je veux me sentir comme un humain_ - Shower, wanna feel human again

_Shepard, est-ce que c'est un suçon que tu as dans ta bouche_ - Shepard, is that a lollipop

_Où as-tu réussi a trouver ca_ - Where did you manage to find a lollipop

_Tu veux pas partager_ - Don't you want to share

_De quelle façon_ - How

_Mon plaisir_ - My pleasure

_Tu m'appartiens_ - Mine

_C'est incroyable_ - It's kind of amazing

_J'ai encore la gueule de bois comme l'enfer mais, ça m'a pas empêché de te vouloir_ - I'm still hungover as hell, and yet that didn't stop me wanting you

_Si jamais il y a un jour ou je ne te veux plus, promet moi de me tirer dessus avec ton fusil_ - If there ever comes a day that I don't want you, just shoot me, okay

_Je cois que je peux endurer ça_ - I think I can handle that

_T'aimes ça, n'est-ce pas? Donc, je pense pas que je le ferais_ - You like it, don't you. So, I don't think I will

_Il y avait beaucoup de motivation_ - There was a lot of incentive

_Ça te dérangait pas ce matin_ - You didn't seem to mind this morning

_Maintenant, je veux vraiment pas me raser_ - Now I definitely don't want to shave

_Marguerite, ça veux dire fleur en français_ - Marguerite, it means flower in French

_Oui tu l'es. Tu es tellement douce et relaxe après_ - Yes you are. You are always so soft and relaxed after


	17. Chapter 17

Disclaimer: Mass Effect doesn't belong to me, nor do I intend to profit from this work of fiction.

* * *

Shepard grimaced as she read through her email; there was a starchy apology message from Ashley, and a request for a meeting from Anderson that read as more of a summons. There was also a brief message from her mother, but she wasn't sure how to word that particular reply, nor was she certain if Cerberus firewalls would allow a message to get through anyway, so she just shut it down for the time being. She tapped out a brief reply to Anderson, letting him know she would head to the Citadel after she took care of the next bit of business she had on her plate. As for Ashley's email, she chose to ignore it completely.

That taken care of; she stood and stretched, grimacing slightly at the persistent ache in her shoulder. She made a mental note to talk to Chakwas about it. She looked around her cabin, and smiled when she found Kaidan sleeping on the sofa, one of the model ships she'd started collecting half pieced together, resting on his chest. She ambled over, moving silently on her bare feet, set the model ship aside, and pressed a soft kiss to his lips. She watched as his lids fluttered open, and his amber eyes met hers.

"Tired?" she murmured.

"Hmmm," was his reply, and he lifted a hand, burying it in her soft tresses, gently tugging her closer. "_ Je t'attendais_," he whispered against her lips, a slow smile curving his lips as she shifted forward and lowered herself to straddle his hips, her soft lips never leaving his.

"Waiting for me, huh?" she replied softly, lacing her fingers with his, her other hand cupping the back of his neck. "You've got that look," she laughed, taking in the mischievous glint in his amber eyes.

"_Quel regard_?" he asked, smiling innocently up at her.

"The one that says you're thinking things you shouldn't," she retorted. "Last time you had that look, we didn't speak for two weeks."

He chuckled, "I never would have figured you as being afraid of commitment, _Marguerite_." he slid his hand down her side, brushing the side of her breast, down to rest atop her thigh. "_ Mais on a dépasser cette partie, maintenant_," he smirked at her, making a noise of protest when she lightly smacked his chest.

"Ass," she said, her tone mild, a hint of a smile in her eyes.

"_ Précisement__,_" he agreed, and he raised an eyebrow when she leaned forward to rest her head against his chest. "Ah...?" he started to speak, but ultimately fell silent as her palm smoothed across his chest with a contented sigh. He wrapped his arms around her, holding her close.

"I've never needed anyone before you," she murmured, her words muffled in his shirt. "And now that I have you, I never want to let go. It's almost frightening how much I need you; how much I've come to rely on you."

He buried his nose in her hair, "_ Je n'ai jamais eu besoin de personne non plus.__Avant toi_."

"I can't lose you," she whispered fiercely. "I've been thinking…Before we go through the Omega-4 relay, I want to drop you off somewhere. Maybe with your parents?"

He shook his head, "_ Non, là où tu vas, je vais_."

"I want to keep you safe!" she argued, furrowing her brow as she glared at him.

"I know you do, but how do I make sure you are safe if I'm not with you. _Et de toute façon, si cette mission tourne en suicide, c'est mon droit de mourir a côté de toi,__chère_," he felt her shudder, and held her close. "_ Mais, nous allons pas mourrir._ We're going to destroy the Collectors, then we'll defeat the Reapers, and afterwards, we'll hijack the Normandy and have five kids and raise them as pirates."

She tried to maintain her stern expression, but a smile was tugging at the corners of her lips, "I'm not so sure about that, Major," she laughed when he grimaced at her use of the nickname she had given him. "I'm still getting used to the idea of marrying your sorry ass. We're not throwing the idea of kids into the mix yet."

"_ Tu ne crois pas encore que nous allons gagner ceci_," he grumbled to himself, and with a soft grunt, he tugged her back down to sprawl across his chest, wrapping his arms around her, holding her close. "_Ont va survivre, tu veras_," he murmured. "_Tu es trop têtu pour faire autrement_."

She just smiled and nodded her head, enjoying the rare calm moment they never seemed able to enjoy for very long. She focused on the gentle rise and fall of his chest, and listened to the soft thump of his heart in his chest, and with his hands drifting up and down her spine, sleep claimed her.

Kaidan loved watching her sleep. She had a terrible habit of talking in her sleep, mostly nonsense words that he didn't understand, and she often made soft snuffling sounds as she dreamed. He worried about her some, for all that she could take care of herself, she was far too concerned with handling the concerns of her crew to focus on herself, and as a result, recently she hadn't been getting enough sleep.

He carefully extricated himself from beneath her, and she mumbled in her sleep, and he grinned when he heard his name on her lips. Delicately, he lifted her from the sofa cushions, froze in place as she murmured a sleepy protest but settled into his arms, curling into him contentedly. He set her down on the mattress, and she mumbled again, groping for the sheets before yanking the quilt up around her chin.

He grinned and slid into the bed next to her, and she instantly rolled into him, draping an arm over him. He held her, watching her for a long time, lost in thought. He still wasn't sure when the exact moment she'd become so important to him, but now she was as essential to his existence as breathing, and as integral to his being as the hum of his biotics. He pushed a lock of hair away from her face, tucking it behind her ear. "Ah, _ch__ère,"_ he murmured, and shifted to press a kiss to her forehead. "_Je t'aime_," he whispered against her skin, and settled down to sleep.

* * *

Kaidan slouched in a chair in the Councilor's office, watching Shepard as she paced back and forth while they waited. "You don't have to stick around," she stated, feeling his eyes on her back.

"_Je sais_," he replied and stood, languidly walking over to where she paced. "_Arrête, tu me donne le vertige_," he placed his hands on her shoulders, stilling her pacing. "_Pourquoi es-tu si nerveuse_, _chère?" _he wondered, more to himself that to her.

She let out a gusty breath, "I don't know, to be honest. I haven't seen Anderson in two years. What if he doesn't believe me?" she said hollowly.

Kaidan raised his eyebrows, "It seems to me that he believed you about the Reapers, in spite of how far fetched it sounds. So if he believed that, why wouldn't he believe that Cerberus resurrected you?" he mused, and dropped his gaze to her lips. "_Je pourrais t'aider a changer tes idées_," he murmured, lowering his mouth to cover hers, his hands resting on her hips to pull her closer.

"I bet you could," she murmured, and pressed against his chest in protest, but melted against him after a moment, her grip shifting to fist in the front of his shirt. They heard a cough behind them, and Shepard tried to jump away from him, but he held her fast. "Ah, Anderson. Good to see you," she said awkwardly, leaning her torso away from Kaidan.

"Shepard," Anderson greeted, looking between the pair with raised eyebrows. To say he was surprised was an understatement. Shepard had also been a consummate soldier, and had certainly never behaved so…unprofessionally before. His eyebrows flew up even higher when the other man gave her waist a brief squeeze, brushed his lips against her cheek, and with a wolfish smirk, moved a half step away from her. Anderson was certain if he hadn't walked in when he had… He shook his head; it didn't bear thinking about.

Shepard took control of the situation; she could see the dark expression on Anderson's face. He'd been like a father to her since her own had passed away, and she had a feeling he didn't approve of Kaidan's pawing at her. "I came as soon as I could, Anderson. There was a situation with the quarian fleet that I needed to handle first." She heard Kaidan's disgusted scoff, and moved on before he could say anything, "What can I do for you, Anderson?"

Anderson moved behind his desk, "The Council has decided to uphold your Spectre status, they wanted me to inform you."

Kaidan snorted, "Is the new Council too afraid to meet her themselves?"

Anderson frowned, but he had hit the nail on the head, "Yes," he turned back to Shepard, "They are understandably wary of you, Shepard. You sacrificed the previous Council to destroy Sovereign."

Shepard rubbed her temples in frustration, "It was the right decision. We can always elect a new Council, but building more ships takes time, resources. I wasn't going to save those three at the cost of thousands of lives." Shepard sank down into a chair, suddenly weary.

"You won't get any argument from me, Shepard," Anderson said. "Now, we're both busy, so let's get down to business. Shepard, you should know the Alliance is tracking your movements very closely. I've managed to put them off by telling them you are on a Spectre mission, but…"

She sighed, "But the Illusive Man is leaking information that I am with Cerberus."

"Yeah. I trust you Shepard, you're one hell of a soldier, and the best N7 to come out of the Alliance, but watch your step," Anderson warned.

She nodded, "I actually have some information that may help with that." She turned to Kaidan, and waited as his omni-tool flared to life. "Alenko managed to hack into Cerberus' database to get some information. It's not much, but it may help to alleviate concerns that I'm working for the enemy."

Kaidan smirked, "Once I got past the firewalls, it was ridiculously easy. The Illusive Man should protect his information a little better."

Anderson stared, "We've been trying to hack into their system for years. How did you manage this, son?"

Kaidan just shrugged, "_J'ai des doigts habile_," and shot Shepard a knowing look. She made a strangled sound in her throat and worked her jaw to speak, but no sound came out. The back of her neck turned a brilliant shade of red, and she clenched her hands into fists in frustration.

Kaidan just sat there, a smug smile on his face while Shepard stammered, "Kaidan has many talents." She swallowed hard, and shoved a sharp elbow into his side, and smiled sweetly at him when he glared at her.

Anderson scowled, the pair sitting across the desk from him were acting like a pair of lovesick teenagers, not thirty-something adults. "Fine," he said sharply, getting their attention. "It doesn't really matter. This is valuable data, Shepard. Extremely valuable. I can use this to influence the Alliance to reinstate you after your association with Cerberus is ended."

Shepard nodded, and furrowed her brow while she considered her next words, "Ashley Williams was on Horizon. That meeting…didn't go well."

Anderson rubbed his temples, "I know. There were reports that Cerberus was behind the attacks on human colonies. She was sent to investigate."

"Where is she now?" Shepard asked.

"That's classified, Shepard. I wish I could tell you, but while you're with Cerberus I have to leave you out of this."

Shepard frowned, but nodded, "Okay. If you see her, tell her I wish her the best."

Anderson reluctantly nodded. "Alenko, would you mind stepping outside for a minute?" He wanted to talk to Shepard, and the hulking man at her back made it difficult. He watched as they exchanged looks and with a casual lift of his shoulders, he headed toward the door.

Shepard cocked her head to the side, "Something you needed?"

He stayed silent for an uncomfortable moment, and she squirmed in her chair, "What the hell are you doing, Shepard?" he finally asked.

"Excuse me?" she bristled, sitting up arrow straight as she glared at him, "Are you questioning how I spend my personal time?"

"That's exactly what I'm doing, Shepard," he thundered. "I've known you for years. Hell, I've mentored you since you went through N7 training, and I have never seen you so much as glance at man with any sort of interest. And I walk into my office and had I been a few minutes later…" he trailed off and shook his head. "He's a mercenary, Shepard. He circumvents the law you've sworn to uphold. What are you thinking?"

She narrowed her eyes and shot to her feet, "My personal time is just that, personal. Aside from the fact that Kaidan has not done anything strictly illegal since he's joined my company. He may like to do things his own way, but he would have made a damn good soldier!" she shouted.

Anderson jumped to his feet too, "That's not what I asked, Shepard! What are you thinking? What about after this mission is over and you go back to the Alliance? Do you really think he's going to stick around?"

"Yes," she said quietly, and Anderson looked surprised at her answer. "Yes, I know he's not going to take off when I go back to the Alliance. Maybe he'll even join up, I don't know." She lifted her chin defiantly, and kept her gaze steady, "He keeps me sane, Anderson. He accepts me for who I am, and what I've done. He doesn't judge me, and though he may drive me absolutely insane, and I know that is a contradiction; he's exactly what I've always needed, I just didn't know it."

Anderson studied her for a long minute, and saw the truth of what she was telling him in the way she held her body, the way her eyes held his unwaveringly. "Okay."

The tension fled them both, and she visibly relaxed. She hadn't expected a confrontation with Anderson about her choice of lover, ever. She decided to drop the other bomb she was holding onto, "We're getting married."

Anderson gaped at her, "You're what?"

She grinned at him, "Yeah. I know. I was surprised myself."

Anderson shook his head, "Are you sure? Aren't you rushing into this?"

She just shrugged, "I don't know, Anderson. And to be honest, what are the odds that I'm going to live through defeating the Collectors. And those odds become even slimmer when you consider that afterwards, there are still the Reapers to contend with. They're still coming, that hasn't changed." She let out a sigh, "After saving the galaxy once, and dying, coming back and working with Cerberus, don't I deserve a little happiness?" She spread her hands; "He makes me happy."

"Does he?" Anderson murmured to himself, "Shepard, I don't like this, but be careful. And take care of yourself."

"Thanks. Could you get a message to my mother? Let her know I'm safe, and tell her, I don't know what to tell her. Don't tell her that her daughter is a traitor, please."

"I can handle that, Shepard."

She found Kaidan just outside the door to Anderson's office, fiddling with his omni-tool, "_Tout va bien_?"

"Yeah, Anderson just had a few questions," she said, and surprised him when she took his arm and leaned into him as they headed back to the tram station to go back to the ship.

"_À propos de moi_?" he asked, and leaned over to press a kiss to the top of her head. "_Tu sais, ce n'est pas ça décision a faire_, _chère."_

She nodded, and briefly rested her head against his chest as they walked, "I made that very clear." She released his arm, only to wrap around his waist, resting her head against his shoulder.

He wrapped an arm around her, and glanced down at her to watch as a slow smile spread across her lips. She bit her bottom lip when she was swamped with sudden need, and gently nudged him towards an alleyway nearby. He smirked at her, and followed her lead, sneaking his hand up to cup her breast. She shivered next to him, but continued on until they were out of sight of the main thoroughfare and she spun around to face him, pressing him back against the wall.

He gripped her hips as she rose up on her toes and crushed her mouth to his, devouring his lips in a searing kiss. Her hands pushed at his shirt, yanking it from his pants as she pressed her warm palms against his bare flesh. She felt his fingers digging into her hips as he pulled her closer.

"_Chère_," he murmured against her lips, and groaned as her fingers flicked open his belt and in seconds, his thick erection was resting in her warm palm. He moved to flip their positions, but she just smirked at him, and shoved him back against the wall. "_Qu'est-ce que tu_…?" he trailed off as she dropped to her knees and glanced up at him with an impertinent lift of her eyebrows. His breath hissed between his teeth as her hot lips slid over the silky head of his arousal, her tongue swirling around him.

He swallowed hard, and his eyes crossed as her hand came up to cup his balls, gently fondling them as her lips travelled up and down his length at a torturously slow place. He shuddered as her tongue stroked him from base to tip, ending with a delicate swipe of her tongue before she repeated the procedure, driving him mad. She pulled her mouth away from him, and licked her lips as she looked up at him, "Do you need me yet?" she murmured seductively.

"_Je...uh, crois que tu as manqué une place_," he breathed, and sucked in a breath when she just smiled at him, and her soft lips enveloped him again as she hummed in the back of her throat. He groaned deep in his throat as she toyed with him, licking up and down his rigid length. It took all of his effort to prevent his hips from thrusting against her hot lips, with a harsh grunt, he jerked her to her feet, and pushed her back against the wall.

He struggled with the fly of her pants, and her own fingers were shaky with need as she tried to help him. After a brief struggle, her pants were around her ankles, and he turned her so her back was to him, and he nudged her feet apart, parting her thighs to grant him access to her molten core.

She let out a keening moan when his fingers found her wet center, and slipped against her damp folds. She pressed her hips back against him, moaning her need for him. "_Qu'est-ce qui t'arrive, chère, que tu as besoin de moi si désespérément_?" He wondered softly, teasing her slippery entrance with the head of his swollen shaft.

"I didn't want to wait," she panted, clutching at the hand he had splayed across her belly.

She cried out as he slid home within her, her slick muscles stretching around him as he filled her. He clamped his teeth down on the sensitive spot at the base of her neck, and a sudden orgasm exploded through her. He pumped his hips into her relentlessly, taking in each mewling cry from her lips, groaning deeply as her walls tightened around him with each stroke. "Maggie," he panted, his lips pressing just behind her ear, "_Je vais pas durer_," he muttered with a groan.

"Then don't," she managed between gasps for breath, one hand pressed against the wall before her, the other still clutching his hand. Her head fell back against his shoulder as she cried out once more, her climax building to new heights with each thrust of his hips before ripping through her. His arm tightened around her, and with a shout stifled against her shoulder, he emptied into her as she spasmed around him.

She slumped back against him, trusting him to catch her weight. "Jesus," she muttered, trying to stand under her own power and failing miserably as her shaky knees gave out. "Jesus fucking Christ," she greedily sucked in air, trying to regulate her breathing.

He nuzzled her throat, his lips skimming over her skin, "_N'importe quand tu veux baiser dans une ruelle, je suis jeu_," he murmured, watching as she pulled her pants up her hips, setting her clothes to rights.

She snickered at him, and straightened. "You're on." She turned, and rose on her toes to press a kiss to his lips. "Sometimes, I need you so much it's scary," she whispered.

He smoothed a hand over her hair, "_Je sais, je vais nulle part.__Je suis à ta disposition_," he replied easily.

"Good to know," she said, taking his hand in hers. "I plan to use you. A lot."

He just grinned as they made their way back to the ship.

* * *

_Je t'attendais_ - Just waiting on you

_Quel regard_- What look?

_Mais on a dépasser cette partie, maintenant_ But we've moved passed that now

_Précisement_ – Accurate

_Je n'ai jamais eu besoin de personne non plus.__Avant toi_ - I've never needed anyone either. Until you.

_Non, là où tu vas, je vais_ - No, where you go, I go.

_Et de toute façon, si cette mission tourne en suicide, c'est mon droit de mourir a côté de toi,_- And anyway, if this does turn into a suicide mission, it's my right to die by your side, _chère_

_Mais, nous allons pas mourrir_ - But we're not going to die.

_Tu ne crois pas encore que nous allons gagner ceci_ - You're still in denial that we're going to win this

_Ont va survivre, tu veras_ - We'll survive, you'll see

_Tu es trop têtu pour faire autrement_ - You're too stubborn to do otherwise.

_Je sais__ - _I know

_Arrête, tu me donne le vertige - _Stop, you're making me dizzy

_Pourquoi es-tu si nerveuse__ - _Why are you so nervous

_Je pourrais t'aider a changer tes idées_ - I could help take your mind off things

_J'ai des doigts habile - _Clever fingers

_Tout va bien_ -Everything okay?

_À propos de moi_ - About me?

_Tu sais, ce n'est pas ça décision a faire_ - You know, it's not his decision to make

_Qu'est-ce que tu…?_ - What are you…?

_Je...uh, crois que tu as manqué une place__ - _I…uh, think you missed a spot

_Qu'est-ce qui t'arrive, chère, que tu as besoin de moi si désespérément_ - What's gotten into you, chère, that you need me so desperately?

_Je vais pas durer - _I'm not going to last

_N'importe quand tu veux baiser dans une ruelle, je suis jeu_ - Anytime you want to fuck me in an alley, I'm game

_Je sais, je vais nulle part.__Je suis à ta disposition.__ - _I know, but I'm not going anywhere. I'm at your disposal.


	18. Chapter 18

Disclaimer: Mass Effect doesn't belong to me, nor do I intend to profit from this work of fiction.

_A/N: Thanks to eternalshiva for the beta and translating!_

* * *

Shepard strode into the med bay, glancing over at Chakwas sitting at her desk, eyeing the door to the AI Core warily. There were Cerberus operatives posted outside the door, and Kaidan leaned against one of the beds, as though he had been waiting for her to show up. "Kaidan, what are you doing here?" she asked. He usually found other things to do during his down time, and rarely interfered as she went about the ship, taking care of business.

"_Tu ne va pas là toute seule_, _chère_," he said, straightening up when she stopped beside him. She furrowed her eyebrow, and just stared at him. "_Pour l'amour de dieu, cette chose porte un morceau de ton armure_!" he put a hand on her shoulder, lightly shaking her.

"Kaidan, I'll be fine," she gestured at the operatives he'd mentally named tweedledee and tweedledum, and continued on, "I think these two strapping Cerberus officers are more than a match for a lone geth. Kaidan bared his teeth at the younger men, as they stood just a little bit straighter under her praise.

"_Je parie qu'ils n'avons jamais été dans une situation de combat dans leur vie_," he growled, narrowing his eyes at them, and inwardly smiled as they shrank back to their original stance.

"Major," she said in warning, and he scowled at her. He had a sneaking suspicion she was telling him not to push the issue or there would be hell to pay. Deciding he didn't care, he just rolled his shoulders.

"_Je vais avec toi, que vous le vouliez ou non_," he told her, and stood shoulder to shoulder with her when she scowled as him, but signaled for the door to be opened. EDI informed her of the additional firewalls she had erected if Shepard chose to activate the geth unit. "Shepard, _fait attention. cette chose t'as tiré dessus_," he reminded her, inwardly torn between the chance to actively communicate with a geth and the mistrust of something that clearly had an interest in his lover.

"I think it was trying to kill the husk behind us," she murmured in response, fiddling with her omni-tool. "Do you think you could do this? My tech skills are…"

He snickered, "_N'existe pas?_" He stepped in front of her, his omni-tool flaring to life. She made a noise of protest when he positioned himself to block the geth from getting to her, but he when he started to lower his arm to show his unwillingness to help her, she crossed her arms over her chest, and took a step back. Satisfied, resumed reactivating the synthetic, and waited, his hand on the combat knife he kept strapped to his thigh, since Shepard wouldn't allow guns outside of the armory unless they were going groundside with her.

The light of the photoreceptor flickered a few times before it became a steady glow and the unit slowly stood. It studied the two humans watching it warily, waiting patiently before Shepard spoke. "Can you understand me?"

"Yes," the unit replied, its tone synthesized.

"Are you going to attack us?" she asked, cocking her head to the side as it stood behind the firewall EDI had erected.

"No," it replied, sounding almost disappointed at her question.

"You said her name about the Reaper," Kaidan said, eyeing the geth cautiously. "Have you met her before?"

"We know of you," it replied after a slight pause.

"You mean I've fought a lot of geth," she said, still curious about the synthetic standing before her.

"We have never met," he denied, still standing eerily calm.

"No, you and I haven't," she tilted her head to the side in annoyance. Great, she was going to be talking semantics with an AI. "But I've met other geth."

"We are all geth, and we have not met you," it insisted, mimicking her motions as she paced , stopping next to Kaidan as he still eyed the unit suspiciously. "You are Shepard. Commander. Alliance. Human. Fought heretics. Killed by the Collectors. Rediscovered on the Old Machine."

"What do you mean, heretics," Kaidan asked, genuinely curious now that it seemed the geth wasn't going to attack them. He moved next to Shepard, and she shot him a quick look as his hand skimmed over the curve of her rear.

"Geth build our own future. Heretics asked the Old Machines to give them the future. They are no longer part of us. We were studying the Old Machine's hardware to protect our future."

"I hope you're recording this," she murmured to Kaidan from the side of her mouth, hardly trusting her ears.

Kaidan gave an absent nod, and addressed the geth, "So, you aren't allied with the Reapers?"

"We oppose the heretics. We oppose the Old Machines. Shepard-Commander opposes the Old Machines. Shepard-Commander opposes the heretics. Cooperation furthers mutual goals."

"Are you asking to join us?" she asked in surprise, not quite sure what to do with a geth as a permanent fixture on the ship.

"Yes."

"Then what should we call you?" she asked, and after a slight hesitation, nodded for Kaidan to take down the kinetic barriers barring its access to the rest of the room.

"Geth."

"I mean you, specifically," she asked.

"We are all Geth."

Shepard exhaled in annoyance, "What is the individual in front of me called?" crossing her arms over her chest, and heard Kaidan's slight snicker of amusement.

"There is no individual. We are geth. There are currently 1,183 programs active within this platform.

EDI winked into view next to Shepard, "My name is Legion, for we are many."

"That seems appropriate," Shepard sighed.

The geth's head flaps flared up as it processed the data, "Christian bible, the Gospel of Mark, chapter 5, verse 9." The plates on its head flared again, "We acknowledge this is an appropriate metaphor. We are Legion, a terminal of the geth. We will integrate into Normandy."

Shepard just stared in silence for a long moment, and held out her hand for Legion. "Welcome aboard." She took a step back towards Kaidan, and gave him a short nod, "I should go."

She grinned to herself as Kaidan held his silence until they had exited the AI core, and were in the elevator. "_C'est un vrai geth. On a un vrai geth sur notre vaisseau__._"

She smiled at him, catching his slip, "I know." She raised an eyebrow and sauntered closer to him, rubbing her breasts against the front of his shirt, annoyed when he didn't seem to notice. "Major," she murmured seductively, pouting slightly at him as he slowly became away of her standing before him.

"_Oh, bonjour_," he smiled, and leaned down to press his lips to hers. "_Qu'est-ce que je peux fair pour vous,_ _chère_?

"You can stop ignoring me, for starters," she murmured, and her hands tugged on his belt, pulling him closer to her with a slight smirk.

"_Mon amour, je t'ignore jamais_," he purred, his lips skimming over her cheek, his hand cupping her breast as he walked her back towards the wall just outside her cabin.

"Mmm… and second, since when did you start referring to the Normandy as 'ours'?" she asked, arching her back against the wall as his busy hands pulled her shirt over her head.

He blinked at her in surprised, "_Je n'ai pas dit ça__._"

"Oh, yes, you did," she moaned, he hadn't stayed distracted for long, and his long fingers parted her slick folds as she shimmied her pants down her hips.

"_Non, je suis certain de ne pas l'avoir dit_," he sighed against her throat as his fingers rubbed small circles against the sensitive nub at the apex of her thighs, making her hips buck at the sensation.

"My translator is working perfectly. You did," she ran her fingers through his hair, capturing his mouth with hers just as he slid a finger into her tight entrance, curling against her slick walls, making her go cross-eyed as her head fell back against the wall.

"_D'accord, je suppose que oui_," he growled low in her ear as she moaned softly at the pleasure his invading finger was driving her to. "_Est-ce que c'est un problème__?_" he asked softly.

"N-n-n-no," she stammered as she shuddered from the force of her orgasm, "Kaidan, Jesus, please," she panted as he relentlessly stroked her, and a second orgasm welled up, sending her over the edge in mere minutes.

He snickered, "_Priorités,_ _chère_?" as her hand clasped his shoulder, her fingers digging in ruthlessly.

"Yes," she moaned, "Getting you naked is priority number one."

He chuckled softly, and took a slight step back, "_Que je déteste vous refuser quoi que ce soit_," he murmured, and she licked her lips as his abs rippled as he pulled his shirt over his head, tossing it in the corner behind him.

She worried her bottom lip as she took in the expanse of muscled chest, "Pants next," she demanded, and returned the sexy smile her shot her. He slowly undid his pants, pushing them down his hips as she watched him avidly.

She tossed her head back, and fused her mouth to his, wrapping her hand around the back of his neck, pulling him closer. She felt his erection jutting against the hollow between her thighs, and she gripped his shoulders as he boosted her up against the wall, and they both groaned in mutual satisfaction as he sank into her.

Her slick walls pressed in against him as she arched her back, her thighs tightening against his hips as he thrust into her, and he groaned deep in his chest as he felt her third orgasm building within her, her muscles clenching around his with every thrust of his hips. She cried out as she climaxed, and her nails bit into the skin of his shoulders, and he gave a harsh grunt as he spent himself within her.

She gave a soft chuckle as he slumped against her, but didn't release his grip on her thighs, instead gave a hearty grunt as he lifted her and carried her into their cabin.

* * *

Shepard sat next to Kaidan on the shuttle, the rest of the team sitting or standing as they headed back from their latest mission. She grinned when she leaned into his side and glanced at his omni-tool to see he was reviewing data from the geth heretic station. It had been a few days, and he was still finding the information he'd downloaded to be fascinating.

"Shepard, there is an emergency transmission from the Normandy," Miranda leaned over and whispered in her ear so she wouldn't be heard by the rest of the team. Shepard nodded and furrowed her brow in concern, and brought up the message on her own 'tool.

Kaidan draped his arm over her shoulders when her back went stick straight, and her face went carefully blank. He read the missive EDI had sent, an SOS of sorts, and he glanced at the navigation system, and murmured into her ear, "_Ont est pas mal proche, un autre cinque a dix minutes, tops.__"_

She gave a short nod, and he could see the worry in her face, but also the fury bubbling just under the surface. They had just missed them.

He stood by her side as the shuttle docked in the bay a few minutes later, watching as she grit her teeth in frustration and worry. The ship was as silent as a grave, aside from the low hum of the engines, and the vibrations in the floor from the eezo core. "Joker, meet us in the comm. room as soon as you are able," she barked into her communicator."

"Aye, aye, Commander," Joker replied, with none of his usual wit.

She stood by as they unloaded their gear, and instructed them to meet her in the comm. room as soon as they had stored their weapons.

"Shepard," Kaidan murmured to her, and caught her arm went she went to brush past him. "_Ont va les__ramener.__"_

She ran her hand through her hair, and let out a gusty breath, "Damn right we're going to get them back." She stabbed a finger into the air, "Do you hear that?" she asked, indicating the eerie quiet of the ship. "They came on my fucking ship, they invaded _my home._" She whirled around to face him, "They don't get to live after that." She cupped his cheek with her hand, "This is it, Kaidan. We're going through that relay. If you want to send a message to your parents, now is the time."

"Maggie," he murmured, and crushed her to him with a soft sigh, "_On va réussir_." He brushed his thumb over her lips, "_J'ai besoin de savoir que tu crois ça__."_

She studied his deep brown eyes for a long moment, letting him hold her. She gave him a nod, and a vicious smile, "You know, I really do believe it now. We're ready; the team doesn't have anything to distract them from the mission. The Normandy is as ready as it will ever be. We're going to make it through that relay, and then I'm going to bang your brains out when we get back."

* * *

_C'est un rendez-vous__,"_ he replied, and caught her lips in a sweet kiss. "_C'est le temps d'aller botter des culs.__"_

_Tu ne va pas là toute seule_ - You're not going in there alone.

_Pour l'amour de dieu, cette chose porte un morceau de ton armure_ - It's wearing a piece of your armor, for God's sake!

_Je parie qu'ils n'avons jamais été dans une situation de combat dans leur vie_ - I bet they've never been in a combat situation in their lives.

_Je vais avec toi, que vous le vouliez ou non_ - I'm going in with you, whether you like it or not.

_Fait attention. cette chose t'as tiré dessus - _ Be careful. That thing did take a shot at you.

_N'existe pas? - _Non-existent?

_C'est un vrai geth. On a un vrai geth sur notre vaisseau__. - _That's a real geth. We have a geth on our ship.

_Oh, bonjour_ - Oh, hello.

_Qu'est-ce que je peux fair pour vous - _What can I do for you?

_Mon amour, je t'ignore jamais_ - Sweetheart, I never ignore you.

_Je n'ai pas dit ça__. - _I didn't.

_Non, je suis certain de ne pas l'avoir dit._ - No, I couldn't have.

_D'accord, je suppose que oui_ - All right, so suppose I did.

_Est-ce que c'est un problème__? - _Is that a problem?

_Priorités_ - Priorities?

_Que je déteste vous refuser quoi que ce soit_ - I hate to deny you anything.

_Ont est pas mal proche, un autre cinque a dix minutes, tops.__ - _We're pretty close, another five, ten minutes tops.

_Ont va les__ramener.__ - _Hey, we'll get them all back.

_On va réussir__._ - We're going to make it.

_J'ai besoin de savoir que tu crois ça__. _- I need for you to believe that.

_C'est un rendez-vous_ - It's a date.

_C'est le temps d'aller botter des culs_. - Now let's go kick some ass.


	19. Chapter 19

Disclaimer: Mass Effect doesn't belong to me, nor do I intend to profit from this work of fiction.

* * *

Shepard prowled around her cabin, refusing to allow the anxiety she felt gain a foothold in her thoughts. Her team was as ready as they would ever be, there were no more upgrades she could purchase for the Normandy. They were going through the Omega-4 relay and they were going to kick some Collector ass.

There was one more thing she needed- no, wanted- to do, and she looked up with a wicked gleam in her eyes as the object of her thoughts sauntered in with a smirk on his full lips. Lips she wanted to claim for her own.

"_Te voilà_," he murmured to her as he reached her, lowering his lips to hers in a sweet kiss.

Her heart hammered in her chest, she loved this man impossibly, she wanted to see him safe above all else, she trusted him at her back unlike she had ever trusted anyone. If she was entering hell, she wanted him at her side, going right along with her. She gripped is shirt and jerked him flush against her, her mouth moving hungrily against his.

She needed him, his hands and mouth on her, in her, to feel alive as only he could manage. Her fingers trembled in her haste to undress him, to have him naked before her. He stepped back and she stalked him, the fiery expression in her eyes had his cock stiffening as he watched her.

He could read the desire and need in her gaze but also something more, an affirmation she had always been so hesitant to give, her love and commitment to him and him alone. His hands rested on her shoulders, his lips hovering above her on, "_T'as besoin de ralentir, chère, pas besoin d'aller si vite_," he whispered softly, in a complete reversal of their usual roles. He wanted to take his time with her, to love her properly in case these were their last moments together.

"No, I want you. Inside me, under me. Now." She maneuvered him backwards until his legs hit the bed and with her palm on his chest and shoved him backwards. She pounced on him, straddling his hips as she fused her mouth to his, her tongue slipping between his lips to tease his own, earning a low groan from him.

His hands snuck up her side to cup her breasts, kneading them until she moaned in need and frustration. She straightened and whipped her shirt over her head, tossing it aside, her bra following moments later. He licked his lips in appreciation and tried to sit up to take her beckoning nipple into his mouth.

Shepard had other plans, however, and roughly shoved him back amongst the pillows, "My turn," she growled, her hands gliding over his chest, kneading the thick muscle lying beneath the skin. She rocked her hips against his, felt the bulge of his thick erection straining against his pants, her hot center teasing him.

She heard his frustrated groan and she smirked before sliding off him. Her fingers tugged at the buckle of his belt, popping the buttons of his fly free. He lifted his hips obligingly as she pulled them down his legs, licking her lips when his thick shaft sprang free. She leaned forward and ran her tongue from the base of his dick to the very tip, his hips jerking towards her touch when she swirled her tongue over the sensitive head.

"Maggie, _ma chérie_," he groaned as her hand wrapped around him, her hot mouth closing around him, her tongue exploring the sensitive skin. The firm suction from her lips, the tight grip of her hand had his hips thrusting in rhythm with each downward glide of her hand. He squeezed his eyes shut for a brief moment before they snapped open when her other hand gently fondled his balls. She purred deep in her throat and he shuddered at the tingling sensation that shot up his spine.

A ragged moan sounded in his throat and he thrust upwards into the hot, wet cavity of her mouth, the pressure of her hand wrapped around him increasing ever so slightly. She squeezed gently when she felt his cock twitched, her gaze drifting up his torso to meet his.

Her mouth came away with a soft pop, a sound that seemed to echo on the quiet of the cabin, punctuated by his ragged breathing as he struggled to hold back. She lifted her head, her gaze holding his for a brief moment before pressing her lips to the head of his cock, her tongue gliding along the slit to make his hips jerk and a moan to issue from his throat. His finger twined in her hair, tugging gently to get her attention.

She licked him once last time and trailed a path of hot, wet kisses up his taut belly, to his chest, to finally fasten her lips to his in a heated meeting of mouths that communicated all the thing left unsaid between them, need, desire, passion, but also vulnerability, commitment, devotion.

She sighed against his lips and her eyes fluttered closed as the tip of his shaft slipped between her wet labia, pressing slowly into her entrance as she sank down. Her biotics flared, flirting against his own as her back bowed and her hips rocked against him.

She whispered his name against his lips and the tone of their coupling changed. Kaidan pushed up a sitting position, his arms wrapped tightly around her, his hands guiding her slow movements. Her breast brushed against his chest, her clitoris rubbed against his belly with every shift if her hips, sending tremors of pleasure shooting through her.

Her chest heaved as she panted, heard the sweet nothings he whispered in her ear, his accent sending a static shiver down her spine. He flared, a blue corona shimmering over his skin, the energy between them ebbing and flowing in a sensuous dance.

His breathing increased, his arms tightened around her and together their auras exploded outward as they reach climax together, her strong walls clamping tightly around him as he emptied into her with a shout. They rode the wave together, drawing out their pleasure as long as they could.

She gazed into his eyes and pressed her lips to his, "I love you," she stated simply, with a slight lift of her naked shoulders. "Always, no matter what happens today, I love you."

His arms tightened around her, "_Je t'aime. __Jusqu'au moment que le soleil ne reussit plus a ce lever, lorsque les étoiles ne brillent plus, je 't'appartiens_." He sealed their words with a kiss, felt her sigh before she lay her head on his shoulder, her lashes fluttering against his throat.

* * *

Shepard surveyed her team before studying the holographic interface EDI had brought up. They needed to split up, to keep the Collectors distracted as Tali made her way through the heating vent. "Enough!" She snapped to end the bickering between Miranda and Jack, fighting over who would be a better leader for the second fire team.

She looked between Garrus and Kaidan, each natural born leaders, both had a tendency towards vindictiveness, but Garrus more so. Kaidan's had been shaped by his life as a mercenary and beneath the surface was a man with a troubled soul, but a forgiving one. Garrus, on the other hand, has a ruthless streak and a desire for revenge. She trusted them both, but Kaidan edged out the turian when it came to leading her squad. She wanted Garrus and Thane with her if she couldn't have Kaidan.

"Neither one of you will lead the second team. Kaidan, you're up." If he looked surprised, he didn't show it, just gave a jerk of his head in acknowledgement. Miranda scowled and crossed her arms over her chest, but she knew better than to argue. Jack shot him a sideway glance before smirking at the Cerberus Operative.

Shepard rolled her eyes. "Garrus, Thane and I will infiltrate here," she pointed at a location on the map. "Kaidan, you and the rest of the team will enter here we will rendez-vous in this central chamber. Grab your gear, we're moving out in two minutes."

The team nodded grimly, determination in the iron set of their jaws. Shepard lifted her shotgun from the table in front of her and pulled the slide back, slipping a thermal clip into the chamber and cocking it. She looked up as Kaidan approached her, his assault rifle resting in his hand, primed and ready to go.

"_Prend soins de mon commandant_," he murmured, his free hand coming up to lightly grip her chin, his thumb resting in the dimple of her chin.

"Only if you take care of my Major," she smirked at him and rose up on her toes to brush a brief kiss to his lips.

He returned her grin, "_Envoye__, ont va botter des culs_."

She laughed as he started barking out orders for his team, hustling them towards their objective. She'd left her team in good hands, she was now certain. "C'mon Tali, it's time to head out."

The quarian sucked in a deep breath and nodded, checking her omni-tool one last time before they exited the ship. They made their way into the Collector base and Shepard and squad stood guard as Tali made her way into the tight space.

"I'm in, but it is hot in here," the quarian informed her.

"Copy that, it is a heating vent, after all," Shepard replied, gesturing for Garrus and Thane to move out. They moved through the eerily quiet base and a frisson of worry tingled up her spine. They hadn't met a single Collector yet and she was beginning to be concerned. She keyed into Kaidan's private channel, heard him curse softly to himself, his breathing heaving as though he was in the thick of things.

She turned the channel off, refusing to be distracted by him.

"Shepard! Something is blocking my path!" Tali told her, her voice shrill. "It's getting hot, Shepard!"

Shit. Shepard looked up at she spotted the first Collector, to far away for the range of her shotgun. "Find a control panel to clear Tali through," she instructed Thane, heard Garrus' "scoped and dropped," as the head of a Collector exploded on its shoulders.

She laughed at she charged across the field, adrenaline and battle fury coursing through her veins. She launched herself into on the creatures, slamming into it with lethal force, leveling her shotgun at his buddy behind him, emptying a round into his face. She heard Thane tell her that the gate had been opened, but there were more farther ahead. She signaled for him to take care of that nuisance as she and Garrus handled the Collectors that were now showing up to the fight.

They pushed ahead, sweat trickling down her spine as they moved deeper into the base. Finally they rounded a corner, hitting the last release for the heating vent, methodically picking off the enemies advancing on their flank as they waited for the door to slide open. When their shields were perilously low, after what seemed like an eternity, they tumbled through the entrance to the central chamber.

Shepard ran to the door on the other side, listening to the report of gunfire on the other side. "We're pinned down!" Kaidan shouted into her comm. "Get this fucking door open!" he barked, the _tat-tat-tat_ of his rifle coming across clearly.

"You heard him, get it open Tali!" Shepard shouted, waiting with her weapon drawn for the door to slide open, "Give them some suppressing fire!" she ordered, switching to her SMG, laying down a spray of bullets to send the Collectors diving for cover while her squad rushed through the door. She leaned back against it when it slid shut, panting hard. Her eyes raked over her team, searching for injuries, thankfully finding none aside for minor scrapes and burns.

"Shepard, _regarde_," Kaidan called, inspecting a pod that housed one of the colonists from Horizon.

She stood beside him, studying the contraption, "They seem to be storing them, but why?" she exchanged a look with him, puzzling out the implications until the girl in the pod woke screaming.

Shepard gasped as she was melted by some sort of acid before her eyes, her eyes haunting her as flesh sloughed from bones. "Get them out of these things!" she ordered, slamming the butt of her weapon into the heavy glass. Kaidan nudged her aside, his fist glowing blue before a warp field caused the glass to shatter.

Dr. Chakwas fell forward, into Shepard's arms, coughing and sputtering. Shepard lowered her to the ground and moved to help the free the rest of her crew. She did a headcount when that task was complete, breathing a sigh of relief when she realized they were all accounted for.

As Chakwas recounted the tale of what had happened to the colonists, her resolve grew. This base needed to be destroyed, to eliminate all traces of the atrocities that had been committed here. And perhaps also to grant what the Collectors used to be, some measure of peace.

"Mordin! Escort Chakwas and the crew back to the ship, the rest of us are heading out." Her eyes raked over her crew, she needed a biotic, a powerful one. Her gaze rested briefly on Kaidan, but she knew he couldn't sustain a field like they required for an extended time without suffering from a severe migraine. She needed him on his feet and fighting. Samara or Jack were the remaining options. Samara's code would require her to do all in her power to protect the other fire team, while Jack was not so inclined. But she would use her rage to fuel the barrier if Shepard asked it of her. "Jack, you're on the barrier, Kaidan and Garrus with me. Miranda, you lead the other team. We'll see you on the other side."

Shepard heard the words pussy and bitch slung at the Cerberus Operative, but they almost sounded endearing, almost. She knew it was more likely that Jack didn't want to lose the chance to mop the floor of Miranda, but she doubted she harbored the same deep-seated rage towards the other woman that she once had. Jack sneered at her, "I'm ready when you are, Shepard."

She nodded and gave the signal to move out. Seeker swarms immediately began buzzing against the swirling dome of dark energy, but none got through. She shuddered in her suit as she heard the shrill scream of husks, shrieking at they bore down on them.

The face of one exploded seconds after the loud boom of Garrus' sniper rifle sounded from behind her. She felt the distortion of a warp field as it flew past her head, catching group of Collectors in the web of dark energy. She gathered her own energy in a pulsating ball, flinging it into Kaidan's, smirking at the resultant explosion that knocked Collectors from their feet.

"Hurry up, Shepard!" Jack's voice already sounded strained, and Shepard could see the sweat beading on her forehead. She couldn't hold the barrier up indefinitely and they would be in deep shit if she failed anytime soon.

"Alright, double time it people! Keep the enemy off Jack, but otherwise focus on suppressing fire. We need to get to our objective." _Soon_ was left unsaid, but Garrus and Kaidan nodded grimly. The day's events were already taking their toll, between crash landing on the base and freeing the Cerberus crew. Not to mention the near constant use of her biotics, she could feel the beginnings of a headache forming behind her eyes. She could only imagine how Kaidan was fairing.

She fought by routine, her moves graceful yet ruthless as her biotics flared, her shotgun roared, grunting from the effort she expended to keep the Collectors off Jack. A Scion entered her field of vision and Jack froze. Shepard grabbed her by her shoulder and yelled, "Run! Go, go go!"

They sped past the husk-like creature and Shepard brought up the rear, listening for the telltale sound of a biotic freight train bearing down on them. A guttural roar escaped her throat as she flared brightly, sending a shockwave of her own pounding across the ground. They collided in the middle, knocking everyone within twenty feet to the ground. Shepard grabbed Jack to drag her upright, saw Garrus helping Kaidan to his feet. "There, we're almost there!" she pointed, nearly laughing with relief. They sprinted the last fifty feet, well aware of the hoard hot on their heels.

At the last minute, Jack turned and the barrier retracted for a brilliant moment before it exploded outward, incinerating everything in its wake. "Fuckers," she gasped, wiping the trickle of blood from her nose. She jerked her head defiantly at Shepard, indicating that she was fine. She swung around to see Kaidan hacking the door controls, her expression hard as they swung open, admitting the rest of her team to safety.

She allowed them a minute to regroup, to rest and catch their breath. She turned to Kaidan, taking in his pallor, the grim lines around his mouth, his lips set in a thin line. He was hurting and her heart constricted to see it. His bloodshot eyes met hers and his jaw bulged slightly, "_Je suis correcte_," he muttered through clenched teeth. He wasn't, any idiot could see, but he didn't want her to worry.

She nodded and swallowed, "Okay." Her armored fingers laced through his, gripping his hand tightly for a moment. Her shotgun came up to rest across her shoulder, "Already, this is it." Her gazed raked over her crew, briefly meeting the eyes of each person. "Thane, Kaidan, with me. The rest of you will need to hold here as long as you can. It won't be easy, but I believe in you. Now lets kick some more ass."

They boarded the platform that EDI assured them would take them to the energy signature at the center of the base. Kaidan let his eyes drift closed for a time, trying to keep the migraine at bay, ignoring the feeling of claws ripping his skull apart. He focused on Shepard, staring at her back, knowing they were almost through, almost finished before he could go home and crash into the sweet oblivion of sleep. So focused was he that it took a minute for her gasp of surprise to register and his vision drifted up to discover the huge metal monolith suspended by tubes, looking eerily humanoid.

"That's…large." Shepard muttered to herself, mentally counting the heavy ammo cartridges she still carried.

"I think we're going to need a bigger gun, Commander," he quipped, exchanging a sidelong look with Thane.

Shepard swore under her breath as more Collectors appeared. She shouted for Kaidan and Thane to wipe them out as she searched for a weak spot on the Human-Reaper. She let out a cry of triumph when she discovered the glass like tubes, and quickly blew out two of them. It dangled precariously, one more and it would fall. She fired her Cain, shielding her eyes at the resultant explosion, seeing Kaidan groan and double over as a bullet ripped through his shields and lodge in his side.

She leapt from cover, racing towards him, her weapon ruthlessly drilling a Collector between the eyes. Her omni-tool was already flaring to life to scan his vitals, her heart tripping in her throat at his weak pulse. She slapped medigel over the wound, her expression worried as he opened his eyes and looked up at her with glassy eyes. "_Crisse que ça fait mal_," he groaned, pulling his weapon up to fire a few rounds at the last remaining enemy.

She breathed a sigh of relief and turned her attention to blowing up the base. No sooner had she programmed the explosion, the platform on which they stood tilted wildly, throwing the trio off balance. Someone screamed as Kaidan slipped precariously to the edge and she threw herself down belly first, sliding after him, catching his arm just as he fell over. His hands wrapped around hers in a bone crushing grip and she felt something snap but adrenaline have her nearly inhuman strength as she braced herself and pulled him back up.

She wrapped an arm around his waist to brace him upright and they ran. Thane followed closely, bringing up the rear, firing blindly into seeker swarms gathering behind them. Joker met them at the airlock, and he was relieved that the ship was still space worthy, but that didn't slow her down for a second. Thane leapt across the gap, and she gripped the back of Kaidan's armor, flinging him with all her might, adding a push with her biotics. He tumbled to the floor and looked back just as she jumped, the ground crumbled beneath her feet as she went. Her arm hooked over the edge exhaustion finally setting in, her fingers scrabbling for purchase. He reached for her, terrified she would fall, knowing he was too weak from blood loss to do anything to save her. Thane reached her first, pulling her to safety and the airlock slammed closed after her.

The engines roared as EDI set off back through the relay. She caught her breath and glanced over to Kaidan, "We made it."

He smiled wanly and looked up as Chakwas rushed towards him, nodded, "_Oui, je le savais_."

* * *

_Te voilà – _There you are

_T'as besoin de ralentir, chère, pas besoin d'aller si vite – _Slow down, dear, there is no need to rush

_ma chérie – _Sweetheart

_Je t'aime. __Jusqu'au moment que le soleil ne reussit plus a ce lever, lorsque les étoiles ne brillent plus, je 't'appartiens - _I love you. Until the sun fails to rise and all the stars have blinked out of existence, I am yours

_Prend soins de mon commandant - _Take care of my commander

_Envoye__, ont va botter des culs - _Let's go kick some ass

_Regarde - _look at this

_Je suis correcte - _I'm fine

_Crisse que ça fait mal - _That fucking hurt

_Oui, je le savais -_ Yeah, I knew we would


End file.
